Lost in the Crowd
by Stoner Guru Ron Slater
Summary: My Season Four, very AU. Title is taken from a song by Shinedown. ML, MiM, AI, KT, SerenaOz. Parts IV and V now up!
1. Preview and History

Little Bit of History for my new Story: Set during and after Graduation. Tess did leave in departure, but she didn't kill Alex, and He and Isabel are still together. Alex had been in a car accident, but Max was able to save him in time. There is no Jesse, Isabel stayed to graduate with the others and Max does not have a son. When Kivar tried to take Isabel back to Antar, She killed him by shooting a blast into the portal after pushing him in and seconds afterwards, a beaten and bruised Tess fell out. Tess returned to Roswell with the gang and renewed her relationship with Kyle. Midway through their senior year, Kyle, Liz and Alex began to develop alien powers. Liz has her visions, Kyle is a pyrokinetic, and Alex can access telekinesis. Towards the end of their senior year, Kivar's son, Kilan crashes on Earth and kills a bunch of scientists and soldiers at Eagle Rock. He then flees to the Valentis, having heard about them from Tess, and now has the full force of the US army after him. Max, Isabel, Michael, Alex, Kyle, Liz and Tess reveal themselves to the Evans in order to get their help to spirit Kilan away. Ultimately, Kilan kills himself and everyone at Eagle Rock when he blows it up to save the seven hybrids from being discovered, as Tess, Isabel and Alex watch from Tess' SUV. However, a videotape of Alex and Isabel talking about their powers is found by the Army. The Army also has photos of Kyle starting a fire with out any neccesary tools and of Michael blowing up a potted plant in front of Madame Vivian's, a survellience video of Tess using her powers on Brody and Amy after Brody channeled Larek the year before, As well as a first hand account from a woman who Max and Liz saved around Christmas, in place of the episode 'Samuel Rising'.

Chapter One coming soon


	2. Prologue through Part II

Lost in The Crowd

By Darkstar aka Tyler Berube

FYI: I'm a die hard rock fan, so I'll be using a lot of music throughout this fic. You can expect to see songs or get mentions about bands like Crossfade, Velvet Revolver, Breaking Point, Shinedown, Revis, Audioslave, and Mudvayne, along with many others The song exerpt below is from Shinedown's 'Lost in the Crowd' which is the inspiration for the title. After Michael leaves, it's Seven by Revis. And at the beginning of Part I is Scott Stapp's The Great Divide. Also, I forgot to put this in the preview; Kyle, Liz, and Alex can all do that Molecular Manipulation thingy. And Max has already proposed to Liz.

The Pairings will be: Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Alex/Isabel, Kyle/Tess, and Oz/Serena

The first couple of parts will be mainly to introduce Serena, and then Oz into the story. Then the action will really start up in Part V or so.

A/N: I know that this should probably be in the crossover sect. for using Oz but he's the only character I plan to use from any other TV show. He'll come in at some point in Part II or Part III. There might be a vamp or demon or two along the way, but for the most part our ten heroes will just be on the run from the FBI.

Author's Note 2: I've never been out of New England, except for two one week long trips to Florida, and once to California, but I was too young to remember that trip, so I'll be making up street names and places that the gang stops at, but the town names will be real. Oh yeah, and Jim Valenti will be back eventually. Remember that he has been changed too. Everyone in the gang knows about Future Max and The End of The World.

In Part II, the signifigance of the names on the ids of Kyle, Tess, Alex, Isabel, Max, and Michael are the real names of wrestlers Edge, Lita, Kane, Trish Stratus, Sabu and Tazz respectively. Liz, Maria, and Serena just have the names of the first three actresses that came into my mind, which happen to be my three favorite…go figure.

Finally, I didn't like the way that Max and Michael couldn't hold their booze. (See Blind Date and A Tale of Two Parties) So I have destroyed that fact. Aliens can get drunk, and it takes the normal amount of consumption.

For The Sake of Credits here's the list of actors who will be main characters for my attempt at fourth season (I Could Use A Banner) :

Main

Shiri Appleby as Liz Parker

Jason Behr as Max Evans

Lindy Booth as Serena Crowley

Majandro Delfino as Maria Deluca

Brendon Fehr as Michael Guerin

Seth Green as Daniel Osbourne

Colin Hanks as Alex Whitman

Katherine Heigl as Isabel Evans

Emilie de Ravin as Tess Harding

And

Nick Wechsler as Kyle Valenti

Here Goes Nothing…

Prologue: Graduation

Should I offer up my hand

And save a wish for once

For all of us

And should I offer up my hand

And lay the guilt on myself

So it's easier, to not stay, to not stay

Tess Voice Over: "I've never been one for reflection, but I do know right from wrong. I know it's not right to benefit over someone else's passing, but I won't deny that Kilan's death has freed me. He was the last person alive that was hellbent on me following destiny. With him gone, Nasedo and Kivar dead, I can finally walk my own roads, forge my own destiny. And it feels so right."

Graduation- 2 Days and Counting

May 30th, 2002

Crashdown

Liz and Maria are working, Michael is working at the grill, and Kyle is having lunch at the counter.

"So tell me, my precognitive friend, do you think you can tell me what's going to happen between me and spaceboy?" Maria asks Liz.

"Maria, I can't get visions on command, so it's prob'ly beyond my capabilities." Liz replies.

"Can you at least tell me that we'll always have each other?" Maria asks, seriously.

"Yeah, of course we will." Liz says, but is worried at Maria's serious expression.

Liz walks over to Kyle and hands him a glass of cherry coke. She sniffs the air.

"Ewww.." Liz exclaims in disgust. "What is that?"

Kyle gives his ex a wry grin. "It's called working for the man."

"In a sewer?" Liz asks, wrinkling her nose again.

"Close. Been flushing septic lines for a 1975 RV." Kyle answers.

Suddenly Tess comes running into the Crashdown, a letter in her hand.

"I got into Boston University!" Tess exclaims, throwing herself into Kyle's arms. He laughs and spins her around in a hug. Liz gives Tess a hug too. Tess goes to show Michael.

Just then, Mr. Parker comes in from the back room holding a letter in his hand as well.

"From Yale." He says simply and Liz takes the letter. She looks at the envelop for a moment and gets a flash. It's an acceptance letter.

"I did it, I got in!" Liz says.

"Honey, you haven't even opened it yet." Her father says, amused. Liz gives Kyle a nervous glance. She opens the letter and looks at it. After a moment she grins.

"I'm in!" Liz says and gives he father a tight hug as he whoops for joy. Maria looks at Liz forlornly. Kyle claps halfheartedly, realizing that both his girlfriend and his best friend were going to be in college on the other side of the country. He looks away from the group, and says whats on his mind aloud. "I gotta do something with my life."

Valenti Household

Kyle and his boss Sonny are sitting in the living room.

"Anyways, thanks for taking this meeting." Kyle says.

"Meeting? You said you were just springing for lunch." Sonny says, somewhat defensively

"Right, but…. I thought that we could talk a little." Kyle corrects.

"Are you going to complain? Look trailer sewage is just part of the job buddy."

"It's not about that. I've just been thinking about my future, and I think that I have a lot to offer" Kyle says as Jim moves to come into the room, but hangs back, unseen by either Kyle or Sonny. "Maybe we could expand…. Maybe even one day…. Open up a new…uh…garage. Anyway, I was wondering if you would consider… taking on a partner."

Sonny looks at Kyle for a moment, a confused look crosses his face. "…Partner… Look, I'm sorry but that's not the way things work. You're a kid. You're not even my mechanic. You're an assistant."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's just drop it." Kyle says disappointedly.

"Partner?" Sonny scoffs. "Sounds a little crazy."

Jim is still watching from the door, and looks sad.

Unknown Motel in Roswell

Three men are standing around a table. One is in uniform, and the other two are dressed normally, one of them is bald, and the other has short black hair. They are watching a videotape. It's of Isabel using her powers to make things fly around the room in a whirlwind.

"Is she the…. Thing that destroyed my base?" The man in uniform asks

"There are several candidates." The bald man says

"Can the Special Unit deal with this?" The general asks.

"The Special Unit no longer exists." The dark haired man replies.

"Neither does this meeting…." The balding man continues.

"Right." The general says with a smile.

"However, the members of the unit do keep in contact with one another." The dark haired man says.

"Then you can take care of…" The general asks, trailing off into silence.

"That is why you contacted us, is it not General?"

The general nods.

Michael and Max's apartment

Max and Liz are sitting on the couch making out.

"Congratulations." Max says in between kisses.

"Hehe, you said that already." Liz admonishes playfully.

"Oh, right." Max says in mock shame.

"But I love it when you say it." Liz says playfully and kisses him again

"You 'College Girls'." Max jibes.

"Hey we want to be loved for our minds, not our bodies." Liz says. "Were you serious about wanting to come with me to Yale?"

"I've never been more serious." Max answers, kissing Liz's neck. "What a great mind… you have…"

"Ohh, I don't think that's my mind, but keep looking and you'll find it." Liz assures him.

"Really?" Max asks, with a wide grin.

"Uhm hum." Liz replies. "I can see the future, remember. And right now your future is looking very… very bright."

Liz is suddenly shocked by a series of flashes. Alex laying dead on a sidewalk, surrounded by a pool of blood. Tess huddling behind a shelf hiding, then a man comes into view and shoots her three times. Kyle running from something, then getting run down by a black car. Isabel sitting in a chair, then getting thrown back as a volley of bullets pierce her chest. Michael falling to his knees, a growing red stain on his shirt. Max putting up his shield, but getting shot from the back. Maria screaming and crying as she gets trampled to death by people trying to get away. Liz herself, falling to the ground, blood pouring from a bullet hole in her neck. Finally, Jim Valenti, Amy Deluca, The Evans, The Parkers, Mr. Whitman and several other parents at the scene, looking down at twelve nondescript body bags, and crying.

She snaps out of it and looks at Max, an expression of horror and shock on her face.

"What is it?" He asks, deeply concerned at the sudden change of her demeanor.

"We're all going to be killed." Liz replies, in a whisper.

Later- Michael's Apartment

Max, Liz, Michael, Isabel, Alex, Tess, Maria, Kyle and Jim Valenti are all standing around the apartment.

"It was terrible. We were killed." Liz chokes out.

"We as in everyone?" Maria asks, knowing that she is the only one on the room that hasn't been changed.

"Max, Michael, Isabel, Kyle, Tess, Alex and I were murdered, your death was an accident, and so were several other people who got trampled as well. Jim you didn't get killed, as far as I saw." Liz told them.

"So what, I have dreams of us getting whacked all the time." Michael reasoned.

"It wasn't a dream, I had another vision." Liz counters.

"In the four visions she's had, they've all happened." Max says. "We've gotta believe that this will happen too."

"We're gonna need more information. Can you give me anything on where this is supposed to happen, so I can warn Hanson." Jim says, but Liz shakes her head.

"It was too impressionistic to get a place or time."

"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Kyle asks.

"We stay on guard, No one is to use their powers in public, recreationally or otherwise." Max says.

Tess looks thoughtfully at Max. "It's because of Kilan. The army needs someone to blame for Rogers."

Isabel's face suddenly darkens. "Mom hasn't been able to find the videotape she made of me using my powers."

"And didn't Brody say that someone ransacked the security room of the UFO Center and stole the security logs from his computer?" Alex asks.

The whole gang shared an uneasy silence. They all knew that they were screwed, all of the hybrids had used their powers in the center at least once.

May 31st, 2002

Graduation- 1 Day and Counting

Madame Vivian's Tarot House

"So what d'you want out of this relationship? I mean where do the two of you see yourselves in say five years from now?" Madame Vivian asks.

"Well the current theory is that I'm gonna be dust." Michael replies flippantly.

"Dust?" Madame Vivian asks confused.

"You know Dead, kaput, finito, michelito. No offence, but can we hurry up with the part when you get out your crystal ball and tell us whats going to happen? I wanna get back in time for WWF." Michael says.

"I apologize for him, Michael please. I really need…. I need for you to try 'n help me to figure this out, alright?" Maria pleaded.

"You're the one who broke up with me, two seconds after you sucked face with your ex-boyfriend." Michael snapped.

"What about that thing with Courtney last year." Maria replied scathingly.

"Those were extenuating circumstances- she was a Michael worshipper."

"There are always extenuating circumastances, aren't there? You know what? I'm just so sick of this. I'm sick of it, Michael."

They both turn to look at Madame Vivian.

"Uhm, I apologize. See, we're hopeless." Maria says sullenly.

"Maria… Would you mind if I speak to Michael for a few moments alone?" Madame Vivian asks.

"Why? I wanna hear everything you have to say though." Maria insists.

"This is not about you and Michael. This is much bigger than your relationship." Madame Vivian says.

"Of course it is. Everything always is, isn't it?" Okay." Maria says, then gets up and leaves.

Madame Vivian turns to Michael as he glances at her skeptically.

"Michael, Something bad is about to happen. Very bad. And there's only one way to keep it from happening—You must believe in the love." Vivian says.

"Believe in the love? I have no idea what that means." Michael says annoyed.

"I know that you don't. But try to. It could save your life, and others. I see death all around you." Vivian says.

"I think you're a fraud." Michael tells her. He gets up to leave. Vivian grabs his arm as he passes and dramatically passes him a card.

"Remember the love. Believe in the Love." Vivian says and Michael looks at the card, then pockets it.

Liz'z Bedroom

Max and Liz are on Liz's bed, kissing passionately and trying to spark another of Liz's visions.

"Tough Job." Liz remarks, playfully.

"Yeah, but someone has to do it." Max replies.

Liz goes to say something else, but is assaulted by the visions again. Alex laying dead on a sidewalk, surrounded by a pool of blood. Tess huddling behind a shelf hiding, then a man comes into view and shoots her three times. Kyle running from something, then getting run down by a black car. Isabel sitting in a chair, then getting thrown back as a bullet pierces her forehead. Michael falling to his knees, a growing red stain on his shirt. Max putting up his shield, but getting shot from the back. Maria screaming and crying as she gets trampled to death by people trying to get away. Liz herself, falling to the ground, blood pouring from a bullet hole in her neck. Jim Valenti, Amy Deluca, The Evans, The Parkers, Mr. Whitman and several other parents at the scene, looking down at twelve nondescript body bags, and crying. A middle aged balding man is standing at a podium talking. Then the flashes end again.

"I saw it again. It was more this time. God Max, I could feel Tess's fear as they cornered her, the impact of the car running Kyle down, Isabel's shock as they shot her. It was so real." Liz whimpered and Max pulled her into a tight hug. "I saw someone else. I know I've seen him before. Hold on." Liz gets up and walks over to her desk, picking up a book. She opens the back cover and nods.

"He was there when we got shot." Liz says, showing the picture to Max.

"Bryce McCain? He's going to be the guest of honor at the UFO convention. We die June 12th." Max states.

"So we have twelve days to figure out how it happens. Not even two weeks to live." Liz says in a whisper.

June 1st, 2002

Morning of Graduation

Pod Chamber Ruins

The gangs has all gathered by the ruins.

"So who's this Bryce McCain?" Michael asks sharply.

"He's a science fiction author." Tess answers. "I've read some of his work. He's good."

"He's going to be at the UFO convention on June 12th. We have less then two weeks before we're all killed." Max tells the group.

"How does It happen?" Maria asks, but then shakes her head. "Forget I don't want to know."

"It has to be the videotape of Isabel." Michael says.

"Oh so know it's my fault?" Isabel demands angrily, and Alex puts an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"I'm sure Michael didn't mean that." Alex assures her.

"I'm just saying that they put it together really quick." Michael tells them.

"Look, It's not going to help by pointing fingers here." Kyle cuts in.

"He's right." Jim agrees. "We need to come up with a plan as a team."

"A team?" Michael scoffs. "Look at us, It's ridiculous."

"Michael, you're not helping." Maria says.

"She's right. Michael" Max says.

"Okay fine, so whats the plan?" Michael asks bitterly.

Max stays where he is seated on a rock next to Liz. "I won't make this decision for everyone. I'm giving up the throne." He says, then rises and addresses Michael, Isabel and Tess. "I'm not a king. You're not my queen. You're not my second in command. And you're not a princess. We're all just fighting for our lives here."

"Well then, We'll need to start planning on how we're gonna fight back." Alex says as Isabel leans further into his embrace.

"I've got a better idea. Why don't we get the hell out of dodge before they land on us. We leave." Michael says.

"And where do we go?" Kyle and Tess ask simulatiously.

"Anywhere but here. Let's face it.. they know who we are. It's over. We leave Roswell, we leave fast and we leave as quietly as we can. We all go separately." Michael says, looking at Maria, a troubled look on his face.

"Seperately?" Maria demands.

"Right now we're safer as individuals than we are as a group. I mean what're we gonna do if we're all together? Get a Van? ….We go quietly into the night, each of us on our own…. If they get some of us… maybe they don't get all of us." Michael says

"So we all leave?" Jim asks.

Michael shakes his head. "According to Liz, Maria's death was an accident, and from what she said, I think Kyle's was too. The only ones we know for sure that they're after are me, Max, Isabel, Tess, Liz and Alex. The rest of you could stay here, and you'll probably be fine."

"So wait, now I'm not invited?" Maria asks agitated and angry.

"Maria…." Michael starts.

"No you know what? This is perfect. This is just a perfect way to end this entire… stupid thing. Forget it. Fine, goodbye, good luck." Maria says and walks off toward the desert. Michael starts to follow, but Liz stops him.

"Hey, let me." Liz says and hurries after her best friend.

After a moment, Max begins speaking again. "If we're going to go, we shouldn't hesitate. We should start leaving after graduation. One at a time. And we don't look back."

Liz hurries to catch up to Maria before she reaches her Jetta.

"Maria…" Liz says.

"What!" Maria snaps.

"No, wait. Wait- Maria, what is your problem?" Liz demands.

"I have risked my life! I have given up everything! I mean every other friend I've ever had, I've completely blown off. Even Sean left cause we treated him like crap. My mother doesn't even know me anymore! And now that it's all over, You are one of them. Alex and Kyle too. You're part of it and you're gonna go with them and just gonna leave me here. I'm gonna be stuck as a waitress in Roswell for my whole life-"

"Maria! Can you really look at me and say that. I am most likely about to get killed in twelve days, and what are you saying? That you're upset that your death was an accident and with the rest of us gone, you won't get killed." Liz asks shocked.

"I know that I sound crazy right now, but I am falling apart here Liz. I just.. I don't…"

"Maria, all I've heard for the past five months is that you want out of all of the alien chaos. And now… You want back in? Maria- which one is it? Do you want in, or do you want out?"

"I don't know? Which one is better for me? Liz, please, just tell me, hold my hand.. maybe you'll have a flash…Just tell me… which one is better?" Maria stammered.

"Maria. Maria…. Maria…. You need to stop." Liz says, taking Maria's hand. "Who knows? I can see the future and even I have no idea. Look, maybe you just need to try and decide what you want and then go get it." Liz says, pulling Maria in for a hug and kisses her on the forehead.

Kyle, Tess and Jim are walking back to Jim's truck. Kyle and Tess are hand in hand.

"So it's just going to be the six of you that leave then? Even though they probably know about me?" Kyle asks Tess, slightly hurt.

Tess looks at him. "That was what Max said, but I don't plan on going anywhere unless you're with me Kyle."

"That makes me feel a whole of a lot better." Kyle said, planting a kiss on her cheek. The two hybrids turned to look at Jim who was pulling something out of his jacket pocket. "Whats that dad?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Jim says, letting the deputy badge slip out of his fingers and back into the pocket. Kyle shrugs and the three of them head to where the group is meeting again.

Isabel and Alex are sitting on the hood of Alex's car. "I can't believe it's all ending like this." She mutters and Alex hugs her tightly.

Michael is sitting on his motorcycle, looking at the rest of the group.

"Well, I'm not graduating so I guess I'll be the first to leave." Michael says, and Max starts toward him.

"Michael… Look." Max starts but Michael cuts him off.

"Ahhh… I'm traveling light, so you can have my Metallica CDs." Michael says.

"Listen, I know that things between us have been a little, uh." Max starts, but Michael interrupts him again.

Yeah, well, Maxwell… Don't… 'cause…. I can't." Michael says and he and Max embrace. When they pull apart, Michael revs his engine and speeds away.

'It's all over,

It's all over now.

The Seal is broken

Creatures spoken now

I hope you come up

To heaven right now

It's all over

It's all over now

Can I be changed

Or am I the same

It's all over

It's all over now

No room for hiding

We're children fighting now

The stars on his right

Holding seven right now

The rain is falling

The rain is falling now

Can I be changed

Or am I the same

Unknown Motel Room

The two men who had been with the general earlier are back. They are now talking to the woman who Max and Liz saved when Liz got her first vision.

"The sooner who help us Mrs. Mills, the sooner you can go home." The balding man says.

"….They helped me… They saved my life." Mrs. Mills stutters.

"And I'm sure that your two children will be happy to see you. It's getting late." The dark haired man says and Mrs. Mills looks at him, obviously intimidated by the underlined threat. After a few moments, she turned and pointed to a picture of Liz, then Max and finally Kyle.

"Thank you." The balding man says jovially.

"Can I go now?" Mrs. Mills asks.

"You were never here. You never saw us." The balding man informs her, and she nods shakily and leaves.

The two men look at the photos they have arranged and block together seven- Max. Liz. Isabel. Alex. Michael. Tess. Kyle.

"These seven. That's everyone. Now we can move." The dark haired man says and the balding man nods.

"Where?"

"Some place where they're all together. A facility that we can lock down. Someplace that they won't expect it to happen."

Maria's House

Maria is standing outside as Michael pulls up on his motorcycle. She walks over to him.

"I thought you were leaving?" Maria asks.

"I am…. But I just wanted…. I dunno" Michael says

"T'say goodbye?" Maria asks.

"……I wanted to say that this whole thing has been screwed up from the beginning. You and Me. Us. Just the whole, long stupid story." Michael tells her.

"Thanks, I guess." Maria says.

"But I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's meant so much to me, y'know. From day one, from the moment I kidnapped you and stole your car… I knew that you were the girl for me. I never wanted anyone else." Michael tells her.

"Michael…" Maria starts sadly.

"I still don't. Just…. Wherever I'm going, whatever I'm doing, Just know that I'll always love you."

He starts up the engine and puts on his helmet.

"No wait, you can't just say something like that and just leave!" Maria cries, but Michael drives off, leaving her stunned and lost on the side of the street.

West Roswell High- Auditorium

Liz, Max, Maria, Kyle, Alex, Tess, and Isabel all walk in dressed in their robes. They take their respective seats among the rest of the class of 2002. The pricinpal stands at the podium.

"Congradulations… Congradulations… And as we continue to honor our senior class, we'd like to give them a few of our own words of wisdom… before we send them off into the world as High School graduates." Principal Forrester says, causing both Maria and Tess to roll their eyes. "So now, it's time to introduce our special guest for the evening. A three-time Hugo Award winner for excellence in science fiction, and an international best selling author… Bryce McCain!"

Max, Liz, Maria, Isabel, Tess, Kyle and Alex exchange panicked looks at one another. Max gets up, and heads for the podium. He meets Bryce just as Bryce is about to start talking. The others look around, trying to see where the shooters are, but are unable to see them. Max looks at McCain with a serious look on his face.

"You need to leave the building right now." Max says.

"What!" McCain asks, confused.

"It's for your own safety." Max tells him, waving his hand over the typed speech that McCain had prepared, changing the text to say 'Leave now for your own safety.'

McCain looks at the speech, then at Max. "Just walk away." Max tells him and McCain leaves flabberghasted. Max turns to the students who are all facing the stage. Isabel gets up and moves to where Mr. and Mrs. Evans are standing.

"Hi. I'm, ah, Max Evans. I'd like to take this opportunity to, ah… say a few thing on behalf of myself, and the graduating class." As Max talks, his hand drifts to the microphone connector, and uses his powers to send a jolt of energy though the generator, shorting out the lights, and throwing the room into blackness except for a spotlight centered on him.

"Some of us are here tonight to walk down the aisle and receive our hard earned diplomas and toss our caps into the air. But theres another group here… tonight… a group of people who are here for another reason altogether. They're here to say goodbye. Goodbye to their high school lives…."

As he is speaking, Liz, Maria, Tess, Alex and Kyle get up and start to head out to the back. Jeff Parker strains in his seat, seeing Liz leaving and trying to figure out what is going on. Isabel stays with her parents. Liz throws a look back at Max as she ushers Maria, Kyle, Alex and Tess out of the Auditorium.

"Goodbye to their family… and friends." Max continues.

"What's going on?" Phillip asks Isabel.

"Max and I have to leave. There's no time to explain, but Valenti will give you the details." Isabel told him and her mother.

"Oh, Isabel, no." Diane cries softly.

"Mom and Dad, I love you so much! …I am so grateful that you know the truth." Isabel says, crying as she hugs her parents.

"We love you." Phillip tells her. They let go of Isabel and she leaves with Liz.

"You see this…. This group has been through a lot… and tonight is the night they've decided to call it quits. It's been a long…. Hard road for them. They have a lot of wounds… They've lost people…. People that were close to them. They've had eachother to cling to, but tonight that's all coming to an end. I'm a member of this group of….. outsiders. I always knew that I was different…. And for a long time, all I wanted was to be another face in the crowd…. But in the end….. it just wasn't possible……. I guess it never was. So from now on, I'll just concentrate on being who I really am….. Some of you might not like that….. some of you might even……. Find that frightening. But that's not my problem anymore. I have to be who I really am…. And let fate take care of the rest. So thank you Roswell…. Thank you for…. For letting me live among you. Thank you for giving me a family. Thank you for giving me a home… My only request is that you remember this group. Kyle Valenti. Tess Harding. Alex Whitman. Maria Deluca. Michael Guerin. My sister Isabel Evans. Elizabeth Parker. And me, Max Evans…. Thank you and congradulations to the class of 2002. Thank you and goodbye." Max finishes just as the special unit bursts in. Michael bursts in right after, and knocks down the members of the unit with his motorcycle. He roars up the aisle and up onto the stage. Max jumps onto the back and Michael floors it, just as the sniper takes a shot and misses them by mere centimeters. Michael and Max roar out of the building, leaving a stunned faculty, parents and the remainder of the Class of 2002 behind.

Ruins of the Pod Chamber

Kyle, Tess, Isabel, Liz, Alex and Maria are all gathered around, waiting. Tess's SUV, and Alex's van are nearby. They look over as Max and Michael pull up on the motorcycle. They smile, knowing that they have a real shot that all of them make it out alive.

Max and Michael get off the bike and walk over to the group.

"Modesty prevents me from taking a bow." Michael quips with a smirk. Max, Isabel and Liz grin at him. Liz turns to Kyle.

"They probably don't know anything about you Kyle, you can still stay." Liz says.

Kyle shakes his head. "Even if by some miracle, they haven't put me together with the rest of you guys, Theres still the fact that I don't have my powers completely under control yet. Plus I don't want to leave Tess." Kyle said.

"I'm not going back either." Maria says.

"No..?" Liz asks with a curious smile.

"No, my future's here." Maria says resolutely.

"Maria, think about what you're saying…" Michael starts, but is cut off by Maria.

"I have…. And…. This is my choice. This is what I want. And…. Whatever that is in the end, that's what it'll be…. But we're doing it together." Maria insists.

"So now we're eight." Tess comments.

"Like I said, We're gonna need a van." Michael quipped.

Suddenly a twenty-eight foot Motorhome comes roaring into view. Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess raise the hands to protect the other four. Phillip and Diane Evans rush out of the motorhome, waving their hands.

"Wait! Don't blast, or shoot or whatever it is that you do!" Phillip says hurridly. Max and Isabel rush over and embrace their parents.

"We're coming with you." Diane says. Both Max and Isabel shake their heads vehemently.

"You can't." Isabel says, tearfully. "It's too dangerous, and we may never even be able to come back."

"We know you'd say that, so we're gonna give you the RV as a farewell gift." Phillip says. "We got it so you and your friends could take a road trip as a graduation gift, but it looks like you're gonna be on an extended roadtrip. Here are the keys." Phillip says, handing Max a ring of keys. "Its moderately stocked with food and clothes, although your friends are gonna need some new stuff. We also put the alien artifacts you had in the compartment under the sofa bed. Theres about seven grand in a bag under the passenger seat as well. That should be enough to keep you going for a month or two."

Max nodded and he and Isabel said goodbye again. Diane also hugs Liz, Tess and Maria as they pass to get in the RV. She gives Alex a quick hug as Phillip shakes hands with Kyle and Michael. When everyone is on the RV, they find that they each have a backpack filled with personal effects lying on the long couch, as well as Kyle's Buddha Statue, Maria's songbook, Alex's guitar, Michael's Cd collection and a crate of Snapple, Tess's books, Liz's diary, Isabel's jewelry and stereo system, and Max's laptop computer.

Max gets into the driver's seat and starts the RV up. All eight of them wave goodbye to the Evans as they drive away.

Ten minutes later

As they drive down the dirt road away from Roswell, they are stopped by a police car blocking the road, the officer leaning against the hood of the car. Max puts the RV in neutral and Kyle slowly gets out of the RV, and hesitantly walks toward the police car. As he gets close the officer tips his hat and Kyle can know see that it's Jim.

"I hear I missed quite a ceremony." Jim says.

Kyle scratches his head. "Yeah. I don't…. think they'll ever….. forget….. the class of 2002… That's a nice outfit…. Deputy."

Jim looks at his outfit. "Yeah well when you're starting over, you gotta start somewhere."

At this point, Tess has seen that it is Jim and has come over to say goodbye to her foster dad as well.

"Hey." Tess says and gives Jim a hug.

"I, ah….. I won't ask where you're goin' so I can honestly say that I don't know… but I can tell you that there are a lot of people out there looking for you… An' right now they think that you're heading south to Mexico." Jim informs Kyle and Tess.

"Why would they think that?" Tess asks, a wry grin on her face.

"I guess they got an anomynous tip." Jim says with a smile. "I can get you to Arizona, but after that you're on your own." Kyle and Tess nod. "I mean you're really on your own."

Kyle looks choked up. "Thanks dad." He says, and Tess quickly repeats his sentiments. Jim pulls the two of the in for what will probably the last time he ever hugs his kids.

"It's the least I could do." Jim says.

"I mean… thanks for…" Kyle cannot find the words. "Just thanks."

Jim nods and pulls the two of them into another tight hug.

"I love you…. Dad." Tess says, tears flowing freely.

"I love you too, dad." Kyle quickly mirrors what Tess said.

"I love you both." Jim kisses both his kids, then allows them to get back onto the RV. Jim gets back into his cruiser and leads the way for the Arizona border.

Crashdown- some time later

Jeff Parker is sitting at the gang's usual booth, looking through Liz's diary.

"I can't tell you much more than that. It wouldn't be safe, for you or for us…. I can tell you that we're all still together, and we're far away, trying to avoid the law and do good in the world. Michael and Maria aren't fighting as much anymore and Isabel, Alex, Kyle and Tess are as happy as I've ever seen them. Oh and I guess that I should tell you that Max and I did tie the knot. Give my love to Mom, and let her read this journal too. Then give it to Maria's mom, and then Alex's dad. Then take it and burn it out by the ruins of the pod chamber, where my husband was born." We can hear Liz say. As she's talking we see Max and Liz come out of a small church, the rest of the gang waiting for them. Isabel hugs Max and Alex and Maria hug Liz. Then Kyle and Tess congradulate the newlyweds as Michael watches. The eight of them get onto the RV again and begin to drive off. Liz continues her voice over. "So that's the end. Our life in Roswell. What a long strange trip it's been. Will we ever go back? ….I don't know…. Even I can't see everything in the future. All I know… is that I'm Liz Parker…. And I'm happy."

Part I: Serena

Three Days after Graduation

Sedona, Arizona

A bright red Honda Civic pulls into the parking lot of Manzanita Campground. It pulls to a stop, and a tall redhaired girl, about nineteen years of age gets out. She looks around and nods.

"Seems as good a place as any to hide out for a while." The girl says and heads for the lodge to get a campsite for the night.

Phoenix, Arizona

Mid-Morning

Kyle drives the RV into the parking lot of Lisa's Diner, and pulls the vehicle to a stop. He looks over at Tess, who is sleeping in the passenger seat. Trying not to wake her, He brushes a few strands of her curly red hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ear. She stirs and slowly opens her eyes. She looks around drowsily.

"S'not my room?" She slurs sleepily.

Kyle grins. "Tess. We left Roswell, remember?"

Tess blinks her eyes, then smiles sheepishly. "Oh… right. Where are we?"

"Phoenix. Some little dig diner owned by someone named, uh…. Lisa." Kyle says, glancing at the sign.

"'S anyone else up yet?" Tess asks, glancing to the back. Michael and Maria are sprawled out on the sofa bed, Isabel is sitting at the table, looking out the window, and Alex is leaning against the wall on the bench opposite her, still sleeping, and the bedroom door is still closed. Kyle and Tess get up and walk into the back. Isabel gets up and the three of them leave the RV, heading into the diner to get some breakfast. They enter the diner and take a large booth in the corner so that the other five can have a place to sit if they come in.

"We really should get a second vehicle. We can't go everywhere in the RV without arousing suspicion. It was stupid to leave all our cars behind. My SUV would be really handy right now." Tess comments.

"We could always steal a car and change the color and the plates." Kyle suggests. "We'd have no problem forging documentation for it."

"We should start coming up with places to go. Places that we can be safe." Isabel says.

"Well there's people all over the country who know our secret. Laurie Dupree, Cal Langley, Hal Carver, Agent Duff." Kyle says.

"Didn't Cal say he didn't want to see Max again?" Tess asks.

"Yeah, We're not going to Cal's and we don't know how to contact Duff." Max says as he, Liz and Alex enter the diner and sit down.

"Well, what about Milton, or Sean?" Isabel asks.

"Sean's in Atlanta." Liz says. "Or at least he was the last time he called Maria."

"Milton is in Connecticutt." Max said. "He's got an estate up there and he has all of his research up there too."

"So where are we gonna go then, el presidente?" Kyle asks jokingly using his old nickname for Max.

"We could head to Vegas for a while, make some money." Tess suggests. "We did pretty good last time. And I doubt they'd be looking there for us."

Max nods. "We can do that for a while. We just gotta hope that Michael doesn't punch out another manager."

"Funny Maxwell." Michael says dryly as he and Maria finally join the others.

"So where are we going from here?" Maria asks.

"I was thinking about heading up route 17 to Sedona." Max says. "We spend a couple days there, then head for Vegas."

"What the hell are we going to do in Sedona?" Michael asks.

"Well, there will be a lot of people up there partying." Max tells them. "It'll be easy to get lost in the crowd."

The other seven friends nod. They get their breakfasts, and eat quickly. Then they get back on the RV and Michael takes the driver's seat with Maria riding shotgun and Kyle claims the couch to get some sleep, as he had been driving since ten last night. Tess, Isabel and Alex sat on the sofa, Alex fooling around with his guitar, and Max and Liz were in the back counting the money they had left, as well as making a shopping list for when they reached Sedona that evening.

2 P.M.

Prescott, Arizona

Michael was still driving the RV. Maria had moved to the back, and was now talking with Liz, who was in the process of changing the color of Maria's hair from blonde to light brown.

"So Sedona. That should be fun." Maria commented.

"Yeah. Hey remember when the whole thing with Laurie went down last year and your mom thought that you and Michael went up there to 'Have sex and get stoned in the hills'?" Liz said using her best impression of Amy Deluca.

"Oh yeah!" Maria remembered, laughing. Liz started laughing too.

Tess looked over at them from over the top of her magazine she was reading as she sat next to the still sleeping Kyle. She sighed and glanced out the window. It had been over two years since she had come to Roswell, and still Liz and Maria did not accept her, even though she had given up on Max a long time ago. And no matter how much Tess hid it, deep down she was still hurting over it. She made a resolution right then and there. As soon as they reached Sedona, she was going to confront both Liz and Maria and try to get a friendship out of the two of them. They were stuck with eachother, so they might as well be friends. Besides she didn't want destiny anymore, she wanted Kyle. Tess suddenly moved with a start as Kyle awoke and rolled off the couch and started doing pushups. After about five, he realized that Tess, Isabel, and Alex were staring at him.

"Uhhhh. Old habit." Kyle explained hastily.

"Riiightttt." Isabel and Tess chorused, giggling. Alex just shrugged and looked out the window, fingering his guitar lightly.

Max came out of the back room and took the passenger seat.

"Where exactly are we?" He asked Michael.

"About ten minutes past Prescott." Michael answers. "We should be in Sedona in four hours or so."

Max nods. "Want me to take over?" Max offes and Michael nods, pulling over to the side of the road. He vacates the driver's seat and Max sits down and pulls out of the breakdown lane and back onto the highway.

Four hours later, Max pulled the RV to a stop at the Manzanita Campground lodge in Sedona. Everyone gets out to stretch, and Max and Liz take a couple hundred dollars out of the bag and head into the lodge to secure a couple of campsites for the week. Ten minutes later they came back out carrying several tents, a map of the campground, and some brochures for local attractions in their arms. They load the tents into the RV and start driving down the dirt road towards their campsites. Eight minutes later, they're all outside the RV again, setting up their tents. Kyle walks over to the fire pit with a pile of brush in his arms, dumping it in, and after taking a good look around, he sends a small fireball into the pile, setting it ablaze. He steps back pleased at his control.

Tess sees Maria and Liz standing off to the side, talking quietly. She hesitates for a moment, then walks over to the two.

"Can we talk?" Tess asks, a serious look on her face. Maria and Liz both nod. "I know you both hate me for trying to steal Max away last year and for the whole destiny thing. But I gave up on the whole deal over year ago, and I don't want to be with Max anymore.'

Tess pauses for a moment. "Now the eight of us are most likely going to be stuck together for a very long time, and I think that it would be best if we decided to co-exist as friends rather than ex-rivals. I mean, Kyle and Max are friends, why can't we do the same?"

Tess now had tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Maria and Liz both looked shocked that Tess had actually broken down her steel defences and was allowing them to see real human emotion. They nodded, pulling the petite former blonde into a hug. Thus a new friendship was forged, but it wouldn't be the last new friendship that was made that day.

When Tess, Liz and Maria returned to the group, Michael and Kyle were already discussing how they would get another vehicle.

"On the way over to the campsite, I saw a party going on. It's probably a five minute walk from here. We could easily jack a car, change the color and the plates and get it back here with nobody the wiser." Michael suggested, but Kyle shook his head.

"We wait until we reach Vegas. If we steal a car out here, it will be all over the newspapers. We're in too small of a town, in Vegas a car gets stolen at least once every twenty minutes. That's something like ninety cars a day." Kyle said. "I like the odds of us getting away with it there as opposed to doing it here."

"Kyle's right, Michael." Alex agreed. "It's too risky. The party idea sounds good though. We should go."

Isabel, Kyle, Maria and Tess nod in agreement. After a moment, Max nods and Michael throws his hands up in defeat.

"Fine. Let's go then." Michael says, and Tess, Kyle, Isabel and Maria let out a whoop of joy.

Twelve minutes later, the gang walked over to where Michael had seen the party, and found that it was a huge afterparty for a Crossfade concert. They break up into the throngs of people partying.

Max and Liz went out to where a bunch of people were dancing, and joined in, gyrating wildly together.

Alex and Isabel went off to talk in a more secluded and private spot.

Michael went off to find some beer, Maria following behind after a moment.

Tess kissed Kyle, then slipped away to go get them drinks.

Tess walked over to the minibar and got a cherry coke, then leaned up against a tree, sipping on the coke and bobbing her head in rhythm to the music. She glanced around the crowds, her gaze eventually falling on a tall redhaired girl, who was staring directly back at her. Slightly perturbed at the intensity of the girl's look, Tess moves away from the tree and starts walking through the crowds. The redhaired girl follows quickly after her. Tess makes her way to the other end of the crowd and starts into the woods. Tess quickly ducks behind a tree and closes her eyes in concentration. The girl comes out and see Tess standing in the woods about fifteen feet away from where Tess is hiding. The girl walks over to the fake Tess, a big smile on her face.

"Ava? Is that you?" the girl asks, and Tess drops the mindwarp in shock, and the fake Tess disappears infront of the girl. The girl jumps back in surprise, then looks around frantically and sees the real Tess leaning against the tree she was hiding behind. She walked over slowly. "You're not Ava… are you?" The girl asks softly, and Tess shakes her head.

"It's Tess." Tess tells her. "How do you know Ava?" She asks suspiciously. "And how well do you know her?"

"I know what she is, and by the sound of it,and by the way you look, so do you. You're her twin aren't you?" the girl asks.

"Just leave me alone. I've already been driven out of one town for what I am. I need to go." Tess says, pushing past the girl. The girl sighs, closing her eyes.

'_I'm the last person that you need to be afraid of. We're not so different.'_ The girl says and Tess stops in her tracks, slowly turning around to face the girl.

"How did you…. She healed you, didn't she?" Tess stated, already knowing the answer to her question.

"Yes. About a year and a half ago." The girl replies. "I'm Serena."

Tess's mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh my god."

"I won't say anything, and I'll leave you alone." Serena said dejectedly, and started to walk away.

Tess grabbed her arm. "Don't go, I know some people that will want to meet you."

Serena looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "They're like you?" She asks and Tess nods.

"Six out of seven anyways." Tess replied. "Come on, let's go find them."

Tess and Serena head back to the party and upon spotting Liz, Max and Kyle standing by the bar, she tells Serena to hang back for a moment. Tess walks over to Liz, Max and Kyle and gets their attention.

"Hey, Liz. You remember last year when Future Max came and mentioned someone named Serena being your friend in the future?" Tess asked shyly.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, why?" she asks slowly, curious as to why Tess would be thinking about that at this time.

"Uhm… I think I found her… er, she found me." Tess says.

"What! She's here?" Liz exclaims looking around.

"Yeah, she thought I was Ava, I thought she was Special Unit and she followed me in to the woods and confronted me." Tess informs them.

"Where is she?" Liz asks. Tess hesitated, then turned in the direction where she left Serena. The redhead is still standing there, looking somewhat unsure and hesitant but starts toward them when Tess waves her over. Serena was standing in front of them a few moments later.

"Guys, this is Serena…" Tess pauses.

"Crowley." Serena says.

"Serena Crowley, this is Max Evans, Liz Parker, and my boyfriend, Kyle Valenti." Tess introduces, and Liz extends her hand to Serena who takes it, and the second new friendship of the night is forged. "Does anyone know where Michael, Isabel, Alex and Maria are? They'll want to know about this. Ava healed Serena and she's like us now."

"How did it happen?" Liz asks, knowing that it must have been serious.

"I got mugged one night out in LA, and ended up getting stabbed. My attacker dragged me into an alleyway and left me for dead. Ava came out from behind a dumpster, saw me lying there and then she healed me. About five months ago, I found out that I could communicate telepathically, and I could also fire bursts of what I believe is plasma."

Max glanced past Serena and paled at what he saw.

"Kyle, could you go find the others and tell them to meet us back at the RV. We're leaving." Max says calmly.

"Max, what's going on?" Tess asks. "We can trust her."

"It's not her. I don't know how they found us so fast, but they're here." Max says, and both Liz and Tess get frightened expressions on their faces. Kyle looks angry, and Serena just looks confused. "Don't call any attention to yourself, just go find the others and have them meet us at the RV. Go now." Max says and Kyle goes to warn the others.

"What's going on?" Serena asks, confused.

"We have to leave." Max tells her. "It was nice to meet you, but we have to go. If they talk to you, you don't know anything about us. It's safer for you that way." Max says and walks away, Liz and Tess following behind. Serena stared at their retreating backs for a moment, then at the men from the Special Unit coming towards her. Making up her mind, she walked in the direction of her car.

Back at the RV

Max, Liz and Tess are already waiting for others, packing up the tents as Michael, Kyle, Alex, Isabel and Maria come running over. The eight of them get into the RV. Alex gets in the drivers seat and turns on the engine. The headlights come on and illuminate three black cars parked about fifteen feet in front of the RV, that had been previously shrouded in darkness. Alex looks at them in terror.

"Guys, we're not going to be able to outrun them. Not in this." Alex said. "What are we going to do?"

Everyone looked at Max for an answer.

"We turn ourselves in. If we do try and get away, innocent people are liable to… get….killed." Max says slowing down at the end, when a bright red Honda Civic roars to a stop in between them and the three black cars. They all watch in surprise as three bright white bursts of energy fly out of the window and hit each of the three cars, blowing up the engines, and knocking out the agents inside the car from the forces of the individual explosions . The driver turns to look at the eight fugitives in the RV holding their gaze for only a moment, then peels off down the dirt road. They watch in stunned shock until the car turns a corner and disappears from view.

After a moment, Maria regains her wits. "Okay, who the hell was that?" She demanded.

"That…." Tess started. "Was Serena…."

A few moments pass before Alex steps on the gas and pulls out of the campsite, heading for the highway.

Highway 179- On Ramp

Alex drives the RV up the on-ramp to get onto the highway. Just as he pulls onto the main road, Tess grabs his arm and points out a familiar Honda Civic parked on the side of the breakdown lane, and a redhaired woman is leaning against the hood.

"Pull the car over, Alex." Tess instructs him, and he looks to Max who nods. Alex moves into the breakdown lane and pulls to a stop about twenty feet in front of Serena's car. Max and Tess get out of the RV, and walk towards where Serena is leaning against the hood of her car. She looks over as they approach.

"Hey." She says.

"We just wanted to say thank you." Tess says. "You have no idea how much you just helped us back there."

"I've got a few notions. Those guys were FBI or CIA or NSA. The kind of guys who always have security cameras in their cars in case something goes wrong. They'll have my face, my licence plate, and the whole display of what I can do on film. I can't go home." Serena says.

"No that, would not be a good idea." Max says, waving his hand over Serena's licence plate, and changing it, as Tess changes the color of the car from bright red to teal green.

"Wow." Serena gasps in shock.

"I know that you still can't go home, but now you should be able to make a clean getaway. They won't be looking for a green Civic from Nebraska." Max says.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping I could go with you. I tried to get in touch with Ava after I developed powers, but her cell phone had been deactivated for behind payments, and when I saw Tess here, I thought I had finally found….. people who were like me…… who might be able to help." Serena says. "You don't have to let me come, but I really don't have anywhere else to go or turn to."

Tess and Max look at eachother for a moment.

"We'd only have to steal one car instead of two." Tess reasons.

Max thinks about it, and finally he nods. "You can come. I think we might actually be needing you at somepoint down the road, if what he said is still in effect."

Serena looks confused.

"It's a long story. I'll have Liz tell you it sometime." Max explained. "We're heading to Los Vegas."

Tess looks at Serena's car. "If you want, we can hitch that to the back of the RV and you can ride with us."

Serena thinks for a moment, then nods. "I'd like that."

Ten minutes later, the gang which had added yet another member, got back on the road, this time bound for Viva Los Vegas.

Part II: Viva Los Vegas…. Again

Part II: Viva Los Vegas…. Again

June 5th, 2002

Boulder City, Nevada

Tess was taking a turn at the wheel, Serena sitting shotgun. The others are in the back sleeping.

"So you, Max, Isabel, and Michael are the Roswell Aliens?" Serena asks, and Tess nods. "So what about Ava?"

"Ava, Max's dupe Zan, Izzy's dupe Lonnie, and Michael's dupe Rath were in the crash too, but their protector brought them to New York and hid them there." Tess explained.

"And so Liz, Kyle and Alex are like me, humans who have become hybrids?" Serena asks, trying to understand what she has become. Tess nods in confirmation. "Then why is Maria here, isn't this whole thing dangerous?"

"It's complicated. She had a chance to stay when the rest of us were forced to leave Roswell. Her life wasn't in danger, but she came anyways." Tess tells Serena.

"Hmn….. So why'd you have to leave?" Serena inquired curiously.

A sad expression came over Tess's face, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry if I touched on a sore memory for you." Serena apologized. "You don't have to tell me about it."

Tess brushed the tear away with her sleeve. "No, I might as well let you know exactly what we've gotten you into. It all started in September 1999. Liz got shot at the Crashdown Café, an alien themed resteraunt that her parents owned, and she and Maria waitressed at. Max healed her and revealed himself as an alien. I wasn't in Roswell yet, but Izzy and Michael were. The three of them grew up together. Anyways Liz told Maria a couple of days later. A few months after that, Liz told Alex the truth. I came to Roswell in April 2000. Nasedo, he was a shapeshifter and our protector, came with me. He had raised me since I came out of the pod. Max, Michael and Isabel had already left. Shortly after I showed up, and Max and the others discovered my secret, Agent Pierce came to Roswell as well. He captured Max and tortured him, trying to get him to reveal how to make the communication orbs work. In an attempt to save Max…. Liz, Maria and Alex went to Sheriff Valenti and revealed the truth about Max to him. The sheriff had been following Max all year, yet had no idea about Michael or Isabel being alien too, and I, having just moved there, wasn't even on his radar. After Michael, Isabel, Nasedo and I got Max out, Nasedo stayed behind to kill Pierce, but was shot before he could do it. Pierce sounded the alarm and we just managed to get out before the base was locked down. Sheriff Valenti shot Pierce before he could shoot Michael. We captured Pierce later on with the help of Valenti. We also took care of his lackeys, But Max had a run in with Kyle, who followed him back to where we were holding Pierce. Kyle didn't know that Pierce wasn't one of his father's deputies as he claimed to be, and gave Pierce the gun he had brought with him after untying him. Max, Michael and Valenti walked by and Pierce stood up, aiming the gun at them. Valenti took a few shots at Pierce, but missed each time, and accidentally shooting Kyle in the chest. Pierce came out and was about to kill Valenti, but Michael blasted him back, and killed him. Max healed Kyle, and then Liz, Max, Michael, Isabel and I went and got Nasedo's body from the Special Unit and took him to the Pod Chamber. We used the healing stones on Nasedo and brought him back. Max then sent Nasedo to destroy all the evidence that the Special Unit had on us and all of the other stuff pertaining to aliens. We then used the orbs and found out about our past lives. Max was a king, I was his queen, Michael was his second in command, and Isabel was Michael's fiancé and a princess in her own right. Three months later Nasedo was killed by one of our enemies, and we were unable to revive him. A few days later, I went to live with Kyle and Sheriff Valenti. We found out that Kivar, the man who had killed us all in our last life, was forming a plan to attack and kill us again. Towards the end of our Junior year of High School, Kivar set up a horrific car crash that killed Alex, Max was able to bring him back, but barely. He was in a coma. A week before he woke up, I left and went back to our home planet Antar. Max and the others thought that I was the one responsible for what happened to Alex, thanks to an elaborate ruse concocted by Kivar. Kivar captured me as soon as I landed on Antar, and I spent six months as Kivar's prisoner, and my only friend there was Kilan, Kivar's bastard son. Kivar attempted to bring Izzy back to Antar though a portal, but she shoved him back through, and sent a blast into the portal killing him. At the same time that this was all going on, I managed to escape from Kivar's guards and made my way to where the portal was on Antar. The second that Kivar's body came out, I dove in. I was back in Roswell seconds later. I went back to the Valenti's and I started to refer to Jim as my dad. Several months passed, and then Kilan crashed outside of Roswell. The US army followed him to where I was living, and after Max and Isabel revealed themselves to their parents. At the end of it all, Kilan sacrificed himself to blow up Roger's Air Force Base. Three weeks passed, and we all started to prepare to go our separate way for college. I got into Boston University, and if I remember correctly Liz got into Yale. Later that night, Liz had a vision of us all getting murdered. Those guys back in Sedona…. They work for the people who want us dead. And now, you're probably on their hit list too. They were going to kill us all at our graduation, but we managed to figure out their plans and escape with our lives. We had to leave our lives, friends, families, everything we knew behind. And now we're here." Tess finished her story and looked over at Serena who was listening intentively. Serena blinks the tears out of her eyes.

"That is so sad." Serena commiserates. "Have you tried calling any of them?"

Tess shakes her head. "It's too soon, and too dangerous to do it yet. Maybe in a couple of months, when things cool down a little we can contact them."

Serena was quiet for a moment. "So what can you guys do?"

"Excuse me?" Tess asked, confused.

"Your powers. What are they?" Serena clarified.

"Oh, well all seven of us can manipulate molecular structures and unleash energy blasts. That's how Max and I changed your car. Other than that, we all have individual powers. Izzy can see inside people's dreams, Michael can blow things up, Max, as you know, can heal, and make energy shields to protect himself, Alex is a telekinetic, Liz has her visions. Kyle is a firestarter, and I can heal small injuries, and mindwarp." Tess explains.

"Is that what you did to me last night when you thought that I was a part of that Special Unit?" Serena asks, and Tess nods.

"Sorry." Tess apologises, but Serena shakes her head.

"No it's fine, if I was in you shoes I'd have done the same thing." Serena says. "So how long have you been on the run?"

"About a week now, I stopped caring after Albequerque. Roswell is the past- this is our life now."

Serena nods in understanding. She turns and looks out the window as the sun rises.

Los Vegas, Nevada

1 P.M.

Kyle, Alex, Tess and Serena are in Serena's car, driving up to a used car dealership on the outskirts of Los Vegas. Kyle gets out of the car about fifty yards away from the lot.

"Remember, keep the warp going until I've been gone for at least five minutes." Kyle instructs and Tess nods.

"Hey, try and get an SUV." Alex says from the passenger side, and Kyle nods his head.

Serena puts the car into drive again and goes the rest of the distance to the dealership, as Kyle starts walking. She pulls the car to a stop and she, Tess and Alex get out of the car, and Serena and Alex head into the building. Tess stays out of site outside, and squeezes her eyes shut in concentration as Kyle comes onto the lot. He walks over to a green SUV, wiping his hand against it turning it black. Then he opens the driver side door and gets in. A few moments later, the engine roars to life and he backs up, heads out of the lot and starts back in the direction they just came from.

Inside the dealership, Serena and Alex are keeping the manager distracted from paying to much attention to whats going on outside.

"So none of your locations within a hundred miles deal in dirt bikes or ATVs? That's a shame." Serena says in disappointment. "Guess we'll have to try Reno."

Alex nods. "Don't worry, hon. We'll find something." He assures her.

"I know." Serena says and they turn and leave the dealership, meeting Tess outside. The three of them get back into Serena's car and drive back the way that they came.

Downtown Vegas

Serena's car, which has Serena, Tess, and Kyle in it pulls up to a parking garage, followed by the SUV that Kyle stole, which Michael is now driving and the rest of the group is in that car. Kyle pulls a stack of blank pieces of paper out and waves his hand over them, changing the paper into four separate stacks of crisp one-hundred dollar bills. He tucks a couple in his wallet, passes a few to both Tess and Serena, then puts the rest of them into a backpack.

Serena pulls into an empty spot, and Michael parks the SUV in a spot a couple slots down. The nine fugitives get out of the cars and meet up in the aisle. Kyle hands Alex, Max, Liz, Maria, Michael and Isabel a couple hundred each.

"Are we getting the royal suite again, Spaceboy?" Maria chimes in, a hopeful look on her face.

"It's up to Max." Michael says, and Max nods. Maria lets out a whoop of joy and pulls Liz toward the entrance to the hotel.

"The only thing I have to say is that there is no way in hell I'm letting you change my name to Pina Colada again Michael." Tess quips.

"So you guys have been here before then?" Serena asks.

"Yeah once." Max answers. "Last spring."

"Come on, lets go have some fun. This might be the last time for a while that we're able to do something like this." Maria calls over.

The others nod and make their way over to the entrance of the hotel.

Royal Suite

The double doors open and the nine friends enter, followed by a bellhop.

"I trust that you all found the accommodations suitable enough last time to return. We're glad to have you back Mr. Guerin." The bellhop comments. "Everything is in the same order as the last time you were here. Enjoy your stay."

The bellhop leaves. Michael looks around.

"I can't believe I'm doing this again." He mutters. "Okay everyone, front and center. ID's out."

The other eight comply, and Michael waves his hand over everyone's ID, changing them. Tess looks at hers, and grins satisfied. Liz looks at hers as well, but doesn't look as happy.

"Nuh-uh!" Liz exclaims. "I am not being Shirley Temple again this time." She waves her hand over the ID, changing it again.

"Alright everyone, these are your new identities until we leave." Michael says. "Sound off."

"Adam Copeland" Kyle says.

"Amy Dumas." Tess reads.

"Glenn Jacobs." Alex announces.

"Trish Stratus." Isabel exclaims.

"Terry Brunk." Max says

"Jessica Alba." Liz says.

"Lindy Booth." Serena reads.

"Nicki Aycox." Maria announces.

"And I'm your host again, Peter Senerca" Michael says. "Now go out and have some fun!"

The Frontier Casino

Alex and Isabel walk in and start dropping quarters into slot machines as they walk down the aisle.

"So how long do you think we have?" Alex asks his girlfriend. "Before they catch up to us again, I mean."

Isabel is silent for a moment. "I really don't know Alex." She replies after a moment, her voice cracking.

"What do you think about Serena?" Alex asks her, dropping another quarter into a slot machine and pulling the lever.

"She seems nice enough, and Tess trusts her. She did help us out at Manzanita." Isabel replies. "Besides, Future Max did say that Liz would be friends with someone named Serena someday, and she has powers. We have to believe that it's her…"

The Frontier Casino Bar

Serena, Tess, and Kyle walk into the bar and get a booth in the corner. A waitress comes over with a notepad.

"What'll it be?" the waitress asks politely.

"Mike's Hard Lemonade." Serena answers and both Kyle and Tess nod in agreement. The waitress writes this down on her pad and leaves to go get their orders. Serena watches her walk away, her gaze moving away from Kyle and Tess, who are currently lip-locking. Her gaze falls on a short man with dyed black hair, sipping on a beer on the otherside of the room. Feeling adventurous, Serena stands and walks over to where the man is sitting. He looks to be about twenty or so.

"Hi." She greets amicably.

The man looks up and smiles. "Hey."

"I'm Serena Crowley." Serena introduces herself, sensing that this man was somehow different.

"Daniel Osbourne, my friends call me Oz." Oz says.

"I know…. Can I sit down?" Serena asks, and Oz nods. She sits down across from him. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"No." Oz says, confused.

"I went an afterparty that your band had in LA a couple of years ago. Dingoes." Serena reminds him. "You said you had a girlfriend named Willow when I was flirting with you."

Oz thinks for a moment then nods his head. "Yeah, I remember it now, It was at the Regency Hotel."

Serena nods. Oz sniffs at something, then shakes his head. "Hey do you want to go somewhere more private? To talk?"

"Uh…" Serena says, glancing over at Tess and Kyle. They're still liplocked. "Yeah, sure. Just give me a moment to tell my friends."

Serena gets up and walks back over to Kyle and Tess. "Hey guys, I just ran into an old friend of mine, we're going to go somewhere to talk, okay?"

"Uh.. yeah sure." Tess replies, breaking away from Kyle's lips, as he continues to kiss her neck.

"Great, I'll meet you back at the room later on." Serena says and she and Oz leave the bar.

Oz's room

The door opens and Serena walks in. She's followed closely by Oz, who shuts the door and locks it.

"So is your band playing here?" Serena asks, her back turned and unaware as Oz pulls a crossbow out of the closet.

"Uh, no. We went our separate ways a while back. That's not why a brought you here." Oz says, aiming the crossbow at Serena's upper back.

"Then what did you want to talk abo…" Serena trails off as she sees the crossbow, now aimed at her heart. "Oz? What are you doing?" She asks, frightened now.

"Every one alive has a distinct scent to them, sort of like an aura. Your's isn't human." Oz replies, a frown on his face.

"Scent? What the hell are you talking about?" Serena asks, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about." Oz says. "You've changed since the last time we saw eachother. You're different."

Serena looks at Oz, then at the crossbow in his hands, then back at his face. "So maybe I have, but what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to give Serena peace and rest." He says cocking the trigger. Serena reacts instantaneously, and hurls a plasma burst at the crossbow bolt. The tip of it melts and fuses itself to the barrel. Oz drops the ruined crossbow and jumps back.

"Okay… That's not what I was expecting." He exclaims, looking at Serena who now has a thunderous look on her face. She forms another plasma burst in her hand, but holds onto it.

"What you didn't think that I would fight back, when you were blantantly threatening to kill me!" Serena yells at him angrily.

"No, I thought you were a vampire." Oz admitted. Serena's mouth drops open in shock.

"You thought I was a what!" She exclaims.

"A vampire." Oz repeats. "Your scent is different than it was the last time we saw eachother."

"How could you possibly know that?" Serena demands.

"I'm uh…. I'm a werewolf." Oz replies, and Serena looks at him curiously, her head cocked to the side. She bursts out laughing a few seconds later.

"Werewolf? Ha, that's rich." Serena chuckles. "As if aliens and FBI agents haven't complicated my life enough already." Serena says, then clamps her hand over her mouth, realizing she has said too much.

"Aliens?" Oz questions, now he's confused. "You're not…"

"No. but I'm not completely human anymore either." Serena answers slowly.

"And there are others too…. That couple you were with at the bar. Are they?" Oz questions.

"The girl is one. The guy is like me." Serena says.

"So why were you changed?"

"I was dying, and this woman named Ava healed me, and changed me in the process." Serena explains.

"I see." Oz says.

"Michael's going to be pissed at me for this." Serena says. "Come on Oz, there's some people that you need to meet."

Royal Suite

Michael, Serena, Max, Liz and Oz are all in the room. Michael looks really pissed.

"You did WHAT!" He yells at Serena.

"Look, I didn't have a choice, he had me on the other end of a crossbow. What was I supposed to do?" Serena defended.

"Why did he have a crossbow?" Max asked, looking at Oz with a confused expression on his face, Liz also looks confused.

Serena doesn't say anything for a moment, looking lost for words. "He uh… He thought I was a vampire." She says finally, and Max, Michael and Liz all give Oz a shocked glare.

"You thought that she was a vampire?" Michael scoffs. "Man, you need help."

"They are as real to this world as aliens are." Oz insists. "Demons, werewolves, zombies. Everything that goes bump in the night or you ever thought was hiding under you bed. It's all real."

"That's crazy!" Michael yells. "Why should we believe anything that you say?"

"Because I'm telling the truth." Oz says calmly. "The reason that I could tell that Serena was different is because I have highly heightened senses. It's a residual werewolf thing."

"You're a werewolf?" Liz asks, the scientist within's curiousity piqued. "How?"

"I got bit in 1998, by my cousin." Oz answers. "I was living in Sunnydale at the time. I left Sunnydale in 1999 to try and get my wolfside under control, after I almost killed my girlfriend. About six months later, I returned but my girlfriend had moved on, so I left again and have been on the road ever since." Oz says. "I'm not here to threaten you guys, and I'm sorry about before. I'm gonna head back to my room. Serena, it was nice to see you again."

Oz turns and leaves the room, leaving four stunned hybrids behind.

"He was strange." Max comments.

"Oh and we're not?" Serena says. "Look at us. We're all just as messed up, all of us except Maria."

"No one made you come, Serena." Michael snaps. "You chose to expose yourself."

"You know what Michael, you're absolutely right. I deeply apologize for saving your asses." Serena says scathingly. "Have fun getting back to the RV. I'm outta here, and I'm taking my car."

Serena strides away from the Roswellian trio heading for the door. She grabs her leather jacket as she goes, slamming the door behind her.

"Good going Michael." Liz says sarcastically and angrily. "Future Max said that Serena was the one who could alter the Granolith to send us all to Antar and you just single handedly drove her away. Can't you just for once-Argghhh!" Liz falls to her knees as a vision hits her.

Flash

Serena and Oz are in a hotel room talking, suddenly the door bursts open and several Special Unit guys burst in, firing tranqs at both Serena and Oz.

Flash

Serena is sitting on the floor of a dark room, crying and scared. Oz's head cradled in her lap, his expression blank and his eyes glazed. He's dead. Serena is whispering to him, trying to wake him up but to no avail.

Flash

The door to the room opens and two men in hazmat suits come in and pull Serena away from Oz's body

Flash

Serena is dragged into a medical room and forcibly held down and strapped to a gurney.

Flash

Serena is lying on the gurney, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, her gaze as blank as Oz's was. On a nearby table, are several jars. One of them is labeled 'Hybrid Designation: S. Crowley-Heart'.

End Flash

Liz gasps and jerks upward from where she is lying on the couch. Max, Michael, Tess, Kyle, Maria, Alex and Isabel look over at her, concern written clearly all over their faces. Serena is not in the room.

"What happened, Liz?" Maria asks carefully.

"I had another vision." Liz says shakily. "The Special Unit knows about Serena. She and Oz are going to be killed."

"What!" Tess demands. "We have to find her… And who's Oz?"

"The newest member of the I know an alien club, and a werewolf." Michael explains, getting looks from Tess, Isabel, Alex, Kyle and Maria. He shrugs offhandedly. "Hey, he said it, not me."

"We have to find both of them, and we have to do it now." Max says. "Alex, can you call the service desk and find out what room Daniel Osbourne is in?"

Alex nods and picks up the phone. "Hello. Yeah can I get the room phone number for one Daniel Osbourne please?" Alex asks, nodding after a moment. "(902)555-5263? Okay, thanks for your help."

Oz's room- Simulataneously

Oz is packing up his stuff and getting ready to leave when he hears a knock on the door. He goes over to answer it and it's Serena. He opens the door. Serena walks in and he closes the door behind her.

"Hey." Oz greets.

"I just wanted to apologize for Michael. He doesn't really stop to think about what he is doing before he does it." Serena says solemnly.

"Hey, it's okay, If I was in you guys' shoes, I'd be suspicious of me too. It's no big deal." Oz assures her. "Trust me, I've been in much worse-"

Oz is cut off by the shrill ringing of the phone. He strides over and picks it up.

"Hello?" He says into the receiver.

"Is this Daniel Osbourne?" Alex's voice asks.

"Yeah, why?" Oz asks.

"This is Alex Whitman, I'm a friend of Serena's, is she with you?" Alex asks.

"Yeah she's here. Why?" Oz replies.

"Okay, Listen carefully. My friend Liz, who you've met just had a vision. You and Serena need to get out of there, right now." Alex tells him. "Both of you are in grave danger. The Special Unit is-"

Oz drops the phone and he and Serena stare at the door in fear. It begins to splinter at the force of the blows being inflicted on it. Oz grabs up the phone.

"They're here. Serena and I are in room 392! Hurry, we'll try and hold them off."

The door came off the hinges. Serena immeadiately charges up two plasma bursts and hurls them at the now gaping hole where the door had been but misses. She goes to charge up another burst, but gets hit in the chest by several tranq darts. She falls to the ground unconscious. Oz follows right after, a dart in his neck.

Alex hangs up the phone quickly. "We have a big problem."

The gang is already halfway out the door running for the elevator. They all pile into the elevator and frantically push the button for the third floor. After twenty seconds, they reach the floor and get out, running down the hall. They reach Oz's room just in time to see men carry Oz and Serena's unconscious bodies out of the room.

"Hey!" Michael yells, blasting the man who is holding Serena. She falls to the ground limply, and the man goes flying backwards. Liz and Tess look at one another and raise their arms simultaneously. Both unleash a blast that takes care of the two men holding Oz. The three Special Unit guys are now unconscious. Kyle runs over and grabs one of the unconscious men by the lapels of his jacket and hauls him inside Oz's room, dragging him toward the window. Alex follows knowing what Kyle plans to do. Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz and Maria help to carry Serena and Oz back to the suite, leaving Tess to deal with Alex and Kyle.

"Kyle, you can't do that." Alex reasons.

"Yeah, why not? They'd kill any of us in a heart beat." Kyle said. "They won't stop coming after us, until we're all dead or in the White Room."

"It's not our place to do this, We're not murderers." Alex said.

"He's right Kyle, don't do it." Tess says soothingly to her boyfriend. "Lets just get to the suite and figure out what to do next from there, okay?"

Kyle dropped the agent to the floor and kicked him hard in the stomach. "That's for running me out of my home, you bastard." He sneered, then left the room. Tess and Alex watched him go. When he was gone, Tess turned to Alex. "Get one of them and take him to the Suite, make sure he's bound tightly, we don't need a repeat of Pierce."

Alex nods and he grabs one of the agents and tosses him into the room, then he tosses the second over his shoulder, and walks toward the elevator. Tess grabs Oz's things and carries them out of the room and follows Alex to the elevator.

Royal Suite

The agent that Alex brought back to the room is now securely tied to a chair in the center of the room. Max, Michael and Kyle stare at him, their arms folded across their chests in anger. Alex and Isabel are sitting on the couch on the upper part of the living room, and Tess, Liz and Maria are off tending to Serena and Oz.

The Special Unit Agent begins to stir and slowly opens his eyes. He takes in the three angry hybrids standing in front of him..

"Hey, the bitch is up." Kyle mocks, and Alex and Isabel come over as well.

"Okay. We're going to ask you a series of questions, and how long you stay alive will be determined by how much we believe your answers." Max says, getting right in the agents face. The agent, who appears to be a rookie, swallows nervously and nods. "How did you find us so fast?"

"We planted a tracer on the RV back in Roswell, figuring that your parents would give it to you so that you could get away." The agent says quickly.

"Why did you attack Daniel Osbourne? He has nothing to do with any of this." Kyle asks.

"We were after the hybrid Serena Crowley." The agent says. "Mr. Osbourne was going to be brought in for questioning for a possible connection to the alien conspiracy."

"There is no conspiracy. There is no invasion. There are no plans of world conquest or destruction!" Max yells at the agent. "when are you people going to realize that we just want to be left alone!"

Max takes a minute to calm himself. "Who sent you after us?"

The agent looks around the room nervously for a few moments before answering. "Special Agent Kathleen Topolski sent us."

To Be Continued…..


	3. Part III

Lost In The Crowd

Previously on Lost in the Crowd

Max takes a minute to calm himself. "Who sent you after us?"

The agent looks around the room nervously for a few moments before answering. "Special Agent Kathleen Topolski sent us."

Part III: A Broken Ally

Royal Suite

Max, Michael, Isabel, Kyle and Alex are still staring at the agent, in shock.

"That's bullshit." Michael sneers. "Agent Kathleen Topolski is dead. Pierce killed her himself."

"No, I can guarantee that my orders came directly from her." The agent swears.

"Kathleen Topolski was killed in a fire at Westlake Psychiatric Hospital in April 2000." Isabel yells at the man.

"That was a cover, Agent Topolski is very much alive. She is the head of the newly reFormed Special Unit." The Agent assures her.

Max turns to Isabel. "Can you get inside his head, and determine the verity of what he's telling us?"

Isabel nodded, her powers had developed to the point that she only had to look at some one and concentrate to get into their mind. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, invading the agent's innermost thoughts and fantasies. Isabel sifts through all of the anti-alien hysteria that clouded his mind. After a few moments she found what she was looking for.

Flash

The agent that they were interrogating, and several others are standing in a room. There is a blonde woman- Topolski sitting at as desk in the center of the room. She b egins to talk.

"I have an old score to settle with these six, the other three will just be collateral. I have suffered for two years due to their actions and I want them to know what it's like." Topolski sneers, and the four agents in the room with her nod. "Now these two are new to this game. Serena Crowley and Tess Harding, I'm not sure that I've met either of them before, so why don't you get them back here so that we can be formally introduced."

Flash

Isabel's eyes snapped open and she gasps. She punches the agent in the face, knocking him out.

"He's telling the truth. Topolski is alive." Isabel exclaims. "She says that she has a score to settle with us.'

"So what are we going to do?" Tess asks as she enters the room, helping Serena to stay upright. She helps Serena over to the couch and helps her to sit down.

"We'll have to get rid of the bug on the RV, if we plan on keeping it with us." Max says. "Otherwise, we could just take the two cars we have, and just go with those. Either way, we have to leave tonight."

"What about Oz? Like it or not, He's a part of this now." Tess remarks. "And we can't leave Serena behind."

"We have Tess mind warp him, make him think that we're dead. He'll probably break out of it, but it should give us enough time to get away, with or without the RV. We wait for Oz to wake up, then we leave. Maybe he's got a car or something that we can use." Michael says.

"Where do we go from here?" Isabel asks. Everyone present is silent for a moment.

"Montana." Serena says. "My grandfather owns a hunting lodge deep in the woods near Wolf Point. It's big enough for fifteen people live in and We could spend a few months, hunting season doesn't start until September. We don't have to go, but I assure you that we'd be safe there, at least for a while." She suggests, then goes quiet again. Max looks at Michael, Kyle, Isabel and Alex.

"We put it to a vote. I'm not making decisions for everyone anymore." Max tells them.

"If we do go to Montana, we should take our time, If we go too fast, some one might catch onto us." Kyle says. "I vote we go."

"Yeah." Tess says. "It'd be a nice change of scenery."

Alex and Isabel mirror Kyle and Tess's sentiments.

"Well, we all know that we're going, so I'm not even gonna bother with a nay." Michael says.

"Okay, so we get everything we have packed right now, and mindwarp this son of a bitch. Tess, do your thing." Max says, wlaking over to the fireplace and grabbing a bucket of ashes, dumping it all over the floor.

"What are you doing?" Tess asks, confused.

"Make him think that we combusted or something, Topolski would believe it." Max answered.

Ten minutes later, the agent woke up with a headache, and new memories of having been the one to vanquish the alien menace.

Lobby of the Frontier

Oz and Max are at the front desk, checking out of the hotel.

"So are you okay with me tagging a long like this?" Oz asks. "You guys barely know me."

"You have a van, and plus we just met Serena yesterday." Max says.

"Yeah, but she's like you guys." Oz says.

"As long as you don't tell our secrets, I'm sure we'll get along fine." Max says amicably.

Oz nods. "I've got a van, if you need me to drive any one…"

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it." Max says.

"Yeah, that's cool." Oz agrees, "Are you going back for that RV?"

"Yeah, I'm sending Michael and Kyle, theres some stuf on it that we need." Max replies.

"Here's your receipt." The concierge says, handing Max and Oz two individual pieces of paper each. They nod and walk away.

"So are we going straight to Montana, or are we going to take the long way?" Tess asks as Max and Oz catch up with the rest of the group and they all begin walking to the parking garage.

"We're taking the long way. We'll go southwest on 15 to Barstow, then head up 40 until we reach Fresno, then we'll figure out what next from there." Michael announces. "Me and Kyle will take Serena's car and go get everyone's stuff from the RV, and we'll meet you guys in Primm."

"Where the hell is that spaceboy?" Maria demands.

"It's a small town near the California border. I planned to pass through it when I was planning on leaving Roswell to go look for Nasedo, after that big deal with Hank a few years back. Wow, we didn't even know Tess yet." Michael explained. "It's a good place to lay low for a few hours. We should be there by eight. You can get there by six thirty if you guys go directly from here. It's easy enough to find if you stay on 15 south."

"What are we going to do about Topolski?" Kyle asks. "We should warn my dad, he won't know that she's still alive and evil now."

Max nods in agreement. "We'll send him a collect call when we reach Primm."

"Okay. We have Oz's van and the Suv, which I'll be driving. Who's going with who?" Alex asks.

Five minutes later, it's all sorted out. Oz, Serena, and Tess would be riding in Oz's van, Max, Liz, Isabel, Alex and Maria would be in the SUV, and Michael and Kyle would be taking Serena's car to go get the gangs stuff and the alien artifacts from the RV. Kyle and Michael bade the gang goodbye and sped off to start the forty-five minute trip to where they had left the RV. Alex drove the SUV past where Oz's van was as Oz, Serena and Tess get in. He stops and calls over to Oz. "You gonna follow us, right?"

Oz nods his head and Alex drives forward to let a car behind him go. "We'll meet you outside."

Tess opens the back door of the van and gasps. There is a drumset and several guitars in the back.

"Wow, another musician joins our little group." Tess comments. "We should become a travelling band.

"Really? Who plays?" Oz asks intrigued.

"Alex plays guitar, Maria sings, and I started playing drums a few months back." Tess tells him. "I'm not that good yet, but I was taking lessons, before we got run out of Roswell."

"That's cool. I play Bass Guitar." Oz says as he settles himself into the drivers seat, as Tess sits on the couch in the back, and Serena takes the passenger side. He starts the van up and drives out to find Alex and the SUV. The two vehicles head south out of Vegas, heading for Primm.

Serena's Car

Michael is driving and Kyle is in the passenger seat.

"So how do you propose we locate this tracking bug they've got on the RV?" Michael asks.

"It's probably on the underbelly. Easiest place to hide and hardest to get at." Kyle says, his experience working at Sonny's garage for the past year paying off.

"Then we'll check there first. We might have to fight, though. Do you think you can control your powers enough yet to do this?" Michael asks.

Kyle thinks for a minute. "I really don't know. Sometimes, usually around Tess, they work fine, but other times, they'll be working one second, then the next, it's like I ran out of gas for my flamethrower. I don't get it." Kyle says, scratching his head.

"I think I get it. As soon as we reach Wolf Point, you and me and Tess are going to work on your control. It's all about the emotions. Tess is obviously your conductor." Michael says.

"My what?" Kyle exclaims, confused.

"You love her, and you wouldn't be able to live if anything happens to her. She's always on your mind and it's affecting your powers." Michael explains.

"Ahhhh. Hmmm." Kyle turns and looks forward. "Isn't life ironic?"

"Why?" Michael asks suspiciously.

"No reason, I was just thinking. We have to be the most missmatched group in history. We have a science buff, a geek turned guitarist, an ex-jock mechanic, the rebel without a cause, an ice princess, a could have been pop diva, a guy who used to work at a UFO museum, and a girl searching for redemption. And then there's Serena…. And Oz." Kyle trails off at the end.

"You don't trust them?" Michael asks.

"It's not that I don't trust them, it's just the chances of finding the two of them within twenty-four hours of eachother. I mean, we can safely exclude Serena from having anything to do with the special unit, but Oz is someone worth watching." Kyle commented. "But it is too convenient. If werewolves exist…. What the hell else is out there? For years, all I wanted to do was get out of Roswell and never look back, but now that I've done that, I wonder if it's worth it."

Michael looks from the road, to Kyle, then back. "In one word, of course it was. Tess. Come on, can you honestly say that you and Liz had the same kind of relationship?" Michael asks. "Would you really want to go back, if it meant that Tess had never come to live with you?"

"No, I wouldn't. Never in a million years." Kyle says. "And I didn't mean it like that. I just wish that things had turned out differently in the end." He admits.

"Yeah,me too.." Michael agrees. They can now see the RV in the distance. "Hey did they have any RV's at that dealership that you stole the SUV from?"

"I didn't see any… You want to dump the bug, I suggest that we do it on a car or truck that's already been sold, perferably heading in the opposite direction that we are." Kyle tells him, and Michael nods in agreement.

Michael pulls the car to a stop, and he and Kyle get out. They approach the RV cautiously, their hands raised defensively, just in case the special unit was waiting again. After checking thoroughly and not finding any traces of the unit nearby, Kyle ducked under the RV, a small flame flickering over his palm. He finds the bug easily, it was almost right where he'd thought it would be. He quickly deactivates it and pulls it out with h im as he crawls back out.

"Got it." Kyle announces, holding up the offending piece of equiptment. He holds it up so that Michael can see it clearly. "What do you wanna do about it?"

Michael thinks for a few moments. "We stop by that resturaunt we passed by ten minutes back, and plant it on someone's car." Michael says. "By the time they've figured it out, we'll be long gone."

Kyle nods and pockets the tracking device. "You wanna drive the RV, or should I?"

Michael tosses Kyle the keys to the RV. "Give me the device, I'll plant it and meet you in Primm, with the others."

Kyle takes the device out of his pocket and gives it to Michael. "Good luck." Kyle says and gets into the RV, as Michael starts walking back toward Serena's car.

Kyle turned the RV around and started driving toward the California border, Michael following in Serena's Civic.

Somewhere on the Road to Primm

Oz, Serena and Tess are all still in Oz's van. Oz is driving, Serena is asleep in the passenger seat and Tess is sitting on the couch in back.

"So why is this Topolski person looking to kill you?" Oz asks, and Tess sighs.

"She had been working undercover as a guidance councillor, until Liz and Alex exposed her as FBI. She returned about the same time that I came to Roswell, and offered to make a deal with Max, Michael, Isabel, Liz, Maria and Alex. Before she could fulfill her end, she was killed by Agent Pierce, or so we thought." Tess explains. "It was before I revealed myself to the others, and Kyle had no idea what was going on in Roswell or about there really being aliens yet."

"Huh. So Liz had a vision that you were all going to be killed at your graduation." Oz asks, and Tess nods.

"We had to leave everything that we had built up, our semi-normal lives, and hit the road." Tess tells him, sadly. She looks out the window and a tear runs down her cheek. "Our parents, our friends, everything."

Tess wipes her face on her sleeve, and rests her head on the couch cushion.

"So what can you guys do? If you don't mind me asking." Oz wonders aloud.

"I can make people see things that aren't there and change their memories." Tess replies. "We all have different powers, and some of the same. We can do stuff like this." Tess says and flicks her wrist toward where Oz's stereo is installed up front, turning it on with her powers.

"Whoa… wow." Oz states, and Tess gives a small grin. She closes her eyes and goes to sleep. Oz looks back at Tess, then over at the slumbering Serena and smiles. For the first time in two years, he felt a renewed purpose in life.

Primm, Nevada

Last Stop Motel

Alex pulls the SUV into the parking lot, and parks it in an empty spot. Oz's van pulls in next to him.

Alex turns to Isabel, who is sleeping. He nudges her shoulder and she wakes up. "Are we there?"

Alex nods, then he and Isabel wake up the rest of the gang. The five of them meet up with Oz, Serena and Tess and the eight of them walk over to the motel office to get a few rooms for the night. Max and Liz go inside with a couple hundred dollars, and the other six wait outside.

"So, do you think that Michael and Kyle are going to get the RV okay?" Serena asks.

"They're not exactly helpless." Alex assures her. "I'm sure that they'll be fine."

"But what are we going to do about Topolski? Even if Michael and Kyle manage to plant the bug on another vehicle, it's not gonna be long before they track us down again." Maria says.

"That's why we have to keep on the move." Isabel says. "We don't stay in one place for too long. It wouldn't be safe."

Max and Liz come back out, five sets of keys in Liz's hand.

"Okay, who's rooming with who?" Max asked with a grin, as he slung an arm around Liz's shoulder and pulled her close.

"I'll sleep in my van." Oz says, figuring that nobody here knew him enough yet to want to share a room.

"I'll room with Kyle." Tess says.

Isabel and Alex reserved one of the keys next Then Maria took one for herself. Serena sees that there is only one key left and Michael hasn't gotten here yet.

"I'll sleep in my car when Michael and Kyle get back." Serena says. "Michael can have the last room."

"No, hey. There's two beds in every room. You can room with me." Maria says.

"Alright, thanks." Serena says, with a wide smile on her face.

The gang then went their separate ways for the night. As Maria walked over to her and Serena's room, she turned to see Serena throw a longing glance at Oz as he got into his van.

'Looks like I'm gonna have my work cut out getting the two of them together. Finally something I can do on this trip." Maria thought with a grin. She walked into the room as Serena approached, and allowed the smaller redhead into the room, and closes the door.

To Be Continued…..


	4. Part IV and V

Lost in the Crowd  
Chapter IV

Quote of the Day:  
Mick- Don't you watch the news?  
Anton- I hate that fucking show.  
Idle Hands

Author's Note: By removing the tracking bug from the motorhome, Kyle and Michael have managed to throw the Special Unit off of their tracks for the time being, but they aren't gone. I know that the gangs final destination is Bear Point, but they won't be getting there for a while yet. Hope you're all enjoying the ride. I have decided that this story is only the first in a series, that will eventually lead the gang back to Antar. I'll be bringing in three new characters in the second installment including Vi from BtVS, a skin who was a member of Courtney's faction and a transgenic.  
A/N 2: TC Samuels, the reporter who wrote the article Isabel reads about in the RV, is one of my closest friends in real life. The Manager of the Hotel that the gang stays at in Fresno, Griffin Buser, is my best friend in real life. And the couple that Serena talks to at Sierra Vista Mall, Madeline Plaut and Tim Monet are old high school friends of mine. I'll have more appearances of my friends and family, as well as the occasional cameo from a character or two from my Virtual Series 'Darkstar', which will be airing in the late summer or early autumn of this year on VTV. The phone number that Tim gives Serena is the designations of Jondy, Syl and Max from Dark Angel put together with a zero before Max's..  
A/N 3: While this story takes place in 2002 for continuity, for all intents and purposes, it's 2006, so that I can have the recently returned ECW in the story. Also, John Kerry is president cause he's my homeboy, kinda. LOL…. shrugs and tugs at collar of shirt nervously He's much better than Bushwhacker. Lastly the Hills Have Eyes + Tess- Nuff Said….  
A/N 4: The returns of some old characters take place in this chapter, including Topolski and Duff.

June 6th, 2002  
Last Stop Motel- Primm, Nevada  
The next morning, the gang packed up what they had and got back on the road. Serena, Kyle and Tess piled into Serena's car, Michael, Maria and Oz got into Oz's van, Max and Liz took the SUV, and Isabel and Alex claimed the RV. Then the alien entourage headed out of the parking lot, this time bound for Fresno, California.

Serena's Car  
"So how long do you think it will take us to reach Wolf Point, if we even end up there?" Serena asks, making conversation.  
Tess and Kyle exchange a look, before Tess answers. "The way Michael does things, we probably wont even see Montana before August, at the earliest."  
So what are we going to do before then?" Serena asks, shaking her head in confusion at why it should take two months to complete a week long trip. It's only about a thousand miles from here to Billings then a couple hundred more to Wolf Point, It doesn't make sense that we should waste all that time." She argues.  
"Yeah, we know, but Michael's got his way of doing things and Max is too wrapped up in Liz to really care." Kyle says.  
"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear, Mr. Valenti?" Tess jokes. Kyle waves his hands in denial.  
"Jealousy? Me?" Kyle sputters. "Nah, I've been over it for two years."   
Tess grins and turns back to Serena. "We'll probably head up through Yosemite, spend a few days there, then head over to San Francisco for a few more days, then northeast to Sacramento by June 20th, ohhhh Taproot will be playing there on the 21st. We gotta convince the others to go!" Tess exclaims, looking from Serena and Kyle, who both chuckle at her enthusiasm.  
"So what are what is there to do in Fresno?" Kyle inquires, popping open a can of cherry cola, and pouring some Tabasco into it. Since Liz, Kyle, and Alex had changed they had started to exhibit some of the alien taste buds that they had previously found disgusting.   
"Well, there's Chaffee Zoological Gardens, Sierra Vista Mall, and the Fresno Civic Center." Tess replies looking at a map. "I think Michael said something about an ECW event being held there on Tuesday. He'll probably drag us to go watch. If we're still in the area, that is."  
"We got rid of the tracking bug and planted on a bus bound for Florida, so we should have thrown them off of our tracks for a while." Kyle announces. "Which means that we should be able to stay in one place for more than just a few hours like Sedona and Vegas."

RV   
Alex is driving and Isabel is looking through an issue of USA Today from the week before.  
"Whoa, we made the national news." Isabel exclaims, flipping through the pages of the newspaper. "Listen to this.' Are there real Aliens in Roswell? By TC Samuels. 'The stage was all set for the graduating class of 2002 from West Roswell High, where the trials and tribulations of the last four years would finally pay off for the hundred and thirteen graduating seniors. International Best-seller Bryce McCain was on hand to give the commencement speech and was about to start when he was met halfway by graduate Max Evans, 19, who according to McCain told him to leave for his own safety, then waved his hand over McCain's prepared speech, changing the text to mirror Evans' previous statement, and McCain complied, leaving the building. Evans then preceded to address the audience, and gave a lengthy speech, telling them that there were two groups at the ceremony that night, and that one was there to receive their diplomas and toss their caps in the air, and that the other group was there to say goodbye. He said that the group consisted of outsiders, and that He had to be who he really was and that some people might even find that frightening. As he spoke, the lights went out and several of Evans' fellow graduates were observed making their exits; Elizabeth Parker, 18, Alex Whitman, 19, Evans' sister Isabel, also 19, Maria Deluca, 18, Kyle Valenti, 18, and Tess Harding, 19, were found to be missing after the ceremony and all of them are believed to be members of the group described in Evans speech. Also missing is one Michael Guerin, 18, who is also believed to be with Evans and the others. At the end of Evans speech, a motorcycle flew into the auditorium, and screeched to a stop in front of Evans, who jumped on and he and the mystery driver (believed to have been Michael Guerin) sped off into the unknown. No leads as to the whereabouts of the eight Roswell Natives, but investigators have not stopped looking. We'll have more on the situation as it develops.'" Isabel reads aloud.   
"Well it's a good thing that we changed our appearances, or else half the country would be on a manhunt for us." Alex says, and Isabel nods in agreement. She turns the page and sure enough, there is a strip of pictures in a row. From left to right; the still black and white images of Maria, Herself, Max, Michael, Tess, Liz, Kyle and Alex look up at her.  
"I wonder if they'll ever just let us live in peace. Isabel wonders aloud.  
Alex pulls her over for a kiss on her forehead. "It's gonna be alright Izzy, We'll get through this, we always do."

Washington D.C.  
White House- Oval Office  
President John Kerry, Special Agent Susan Duff and Agent Kathleen Topolski are in conference.  
"These kids you suspect of being alien, have done nothing to us." Susan Duff exclaims at Topolski in anger. "You attack them and they ran. They didn't fight back. Roswell. Sedona. Los Vegas. Everytime you cornered them, they ran. We must seek out an alliance with these people."  
John Kerry scratched his head in thought. "What I'm trying to understand here Kathleen, is while Susan raises a good point, I'm still trying to figure out why you have such a vendetta against this Max Evans and his friends." He asks after a moment.  
"With all due respect, Mr. President, I don't feel the need to explain my motives for wanting to detain Evans and his group for questioning." Topolski says, scathingly.  
"Well I'm sorry that you feel that way and I'm sorry that I have to do this, but…" Kerry trails off, glancing at Agent Duff. "Kathleen Topolski, you are hereby absolved of any duties as the head of or pertaining to the Special Unit of the FBI."  
"You can't do that!" Topolski shrieks in outrage.  
"The papers have already been signed. You have shown yourself incapable of making honest, unbiased decisions. Your interest in Evans in the others is personal, and in my opinion, unhealthy. The rest of the unit will undergo psychological testing to stay in the employ of the division. The last thing I need is the body of an innocent gunned down by the government, alien or not. Agent Duff, I am naming you as the temporary head of the Unit, permanent office pending." Kerry says. "Topolski, I'll need you to clear out. Agent Duff and I have matters to discuss."  
Topolski storms out of the Oval Office, muttering aznd cursing under her breath. This was not the last time that Max Evans would be bothered by her, not by a longshot.

Fresno   
Hideaway Hills Hotel  
The Four vehicles that the gang has in their possession pull into the parking lot of the Hideaway Hills Hotel and everyone gets out and stretch, then congregate in front of the front entrance.  
"Any idea how long we'll be staying, or should we just keep all the luggage in the cars?" Kyle quips sarcastically, recalling their last two 'pitstops' in Sedona and Vegas. Tess punches his arm playfully.  
"No, I think that this place'll be okay to hang out for a few days, now that the tracker bug is on a bus heading for Florida." Michael puts in and Max nods.  
"We'll stay for a week or so, then continue north to Yosemite." Max says. "Unless anyone else has any other ideas."  
The group all soon agrees with what Max has suggested and make their way into the hotel.  
Michael and Maria lead the way into the lobby of the hotel and make their way over to the front desk.  
"Hello, I'm Griffin Buser, the manager of this establishment. How many rooms will you be needing during your stay here?" The man behind the counter asks.  
"Do you have royal suites?" Liz asks, and the man nods.  
"Yeah, we have five suites on the top floor, each have three bedrooms, and it's a hundred fifty a night." Griffin replies.  
"We'll take two of them." Max says.

Royal Suite #1  
Kyle, Tess, Serena and Oz are led into the large room by a bellhop. Kyle tips him and he leaves their luggage in the main foyer, then walks out, shutting the doors behind him.  
"So what are we gonna do? I don't want to spend the whole time cooped up the hotel." Serena says.  
"We could go check out the mall, maybe catch a movie." Kyle suggests.   
"We could go see the Hills Have Eyes movie, I heard that it got goo d reviews." Tess puts in hopefully.  
The other three quickly agree and Tess goes to tell Max and the others that they're taking Serena's car and going out for some much need relaxation time.

Sierra Vista Mall  
The front sliding doors open and Tess, Kyle, Serena, and Oz walk in. They go over to where the movie theater is and check the times.  
"It doesn't start for an hour and a half." Tess notes. "What are we going to do until then?"  
"I'm sure I can figure something out." Kyle says suggestively, kissing Tess's neck.  
"Not in a crowded mall Valenti." Tess says. "We wait until we get back to the hotel room."  
"Oh oh oh, there's a Bertucci's here. We have to go, they have the best brick oven pizza there." Serena points out.  
"Yeah they do." Oz agrees "I haven't been to one of those since I was in Boston last year." Oz says.  
The four friends head over to the resteraunt to eat before going to the movie.  
About forty-five minutes later, the four of them walk out, Oz heading for the Record Town across the hall, while Tess and Kyle going over to find a spot to make out, and Serena walking over to the CVS to buy a pack of cigarettes. She buys some Marlboro reds and heads outside to smoke one.  
She leans up against the building wall and lights the cigarette. Taking a drag, she glances around the exterior and sees a young couple who look about twenty or so coming over.  
"Hey, d'ya have an extra stog?" The guys asks, and Serena nods, pulling out her pack and handing a cigarette to each of them.  
"Thanks." The girl says appreciatively. "I'm Maddie, and this is my boyfriend Tim."  
"Serena." Serena introduces, and the two of them nod.  
"Nice name." Tim comments. "You're not from around here are you?"   
"Nope, I'm from Indiana, originally. I'm traveling with some friends. I'm only gonna be around for a few days." Serena answers.  
"Well, there's this killer party going down tonight at my place. You should come. Bring your friends." Tim invites.  
"Yeah, I'll pitch the idea to em." Serena replies. "What's your number?"  
"(210)701-0452" Tim answers and he and Maddie finish their cigarettes and leave as Serena lights another cigarette.  
Tim and Maddie walk inside the mall.  
"She doesn't deserve it." Maddie says sadly. "She was nice."  
"It doesn't matter. She'll be the last one, then Pete will be off our backs." Tim says, although he looks just as distraught.

Later   
Serena and Tess come walking out of the movie theater, arms linked. Kyle and Oz come out behind them.  
"So what are we going to do now?" Tess asks. "I'm too wired to go back to the hotel right now."  
"I got an invite to a party earlier, we could go check it out." Serena tells them.  
" Sounds like fun." Oz says.  
"Yeah, lets go." Kyle nods.  
Serena pulls out the piece of paper that she wrote down Tim's number on, and dials it on her cell phone. After a few rings Tim picks up.   
"Hello?" Serena hears him say.  
"Hey it's Serena from the mall." Serena answers. "I was wondering if that invitation to the party still stands?"  
"Uh, yeah. It's at 743 Spruce Street. Take a right at the road heading north away from the mall and you can't miss it." Tim tells her. "It's already started, so you can't miss it."

Royal Suite #2  
Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel are sitting in the lounge, watching an episode of Darkstar on Tv.  
"Man, I just can't get over the fact of how much Allison, Trish, Andrew, Hunter and Erika look like Tess, Me, Kyle, Michael and Serena. It's unreal." Isabel says.  
"Hey, shouldn't someone call Tess and the others, make sure everything is okay?" Liz asks.  
"Nah I'm sure they're fine." Max says. "They'll call if something happens."

Tim's House.  
Serena pulls the car into the car filled driveway of 743 Spruce and shuts the motor off. The four friends get out of the car and walk up to the entrance. Serena rings the door bell, and after a few moments a man wearing a ski mask opens the door and points a gun at the foursome menacingly.  
"Welcome to the party, any sudden moves and you die, kapiesh?" The masked man sneers. "Now get inside!"  
To Be Continued…..

Part V: Hybrids versus the Mob

In This Chapter: Tess, Kyle, Serena and Oz take a stand against local gangsters in Fresno who have been extorting money and killing people who refuse to pay up. Liz has a vision of Antar. Agent Duff contacts Jim Valenti at the behest of the President.

Quote of the Day:

Dante: I don't have enough indignities in my life and people start throwing cigaretees at me.

Veronica: At least they weren't lit….

Clerks

Tim's Mansion

Serena pulls the car into the car filled driveway of 743 Spruce and shuts the motor off. The four friends get out of the car and walk up to the entrance. Serena rings the door bell, and after a few moments a man wearing a ski mask opens the door and points a gun at the foursome menacingly.

"Welcome to the party, any sudden moves and you die, kapiesh?" The masked man sneers. "Now get inside!"

Tess, Serena, Kyle and Oz exchanged a quick glance, then make their way inside the house quickly. The gunman shuts and locks the door behind them and pushs the gun into Tess' back urging her forward. She squeals in fear and hurries forward. One of Kyle's hands go behind his back, forming a small fireball, while he brandishs the other at the gunman.

"Don't you ever point that fucking thing at my girlfriend!" Kyle yells at the masked man.

The man turns the gun on him, jabbing the tip of it against his chest. "You wanna play hero and die kid?"

"Nah. Been there, done that." Kyle says looking at the gun aimed at his chest.

"What do you want!" Serena asks, and the gunman looks away from Kyle for a moment. Kyle's reaction is instantaneous. He shoots off a blast of fire that causes the masked man to drop the gun in pain. Oz kicks it away and grabs the man by the throat.

"How many more people are there in here with guns?" Oz demands.

"What the hell are you people!" the gunman wheezes, not answering. Oz squeezes harder. "Okay..Okay, there's six other guys. Three in the living room, two watching the place from a car up the street, and one having his way with our late host Tim's girlfriend Maddie."

"You sick fuck." Serena sneers, punching him unconscious. Oz loosens his grip and the man falls to the floor.

"What do we do?" Kyle asks. "There's other people here who are going to need help. We should do something. Help the hopeless or something."

Tess nods her head in agreement. "We take them out and send their gang a message not to mess with the downtrodden. Everyone get ready for a fight."

Royal Suite #2

Michael and Maria are sitting in the lounge, watching Braveheart. Michael has a pad of paper in front of him and is tallying the number of deaths in the movie, trying to get an accurate count.

"We should go out and do something. I'm sick of being cooped up in hotel rooms and the cars all of the time. We finally have a few days to relax and you're watching Braveheart… for the five millionth time." Maria complains.

"We'll some one has to stay here and mind the phone in case Tess or Issy or Max calls with an emergency." Michael defends.

"Whatever. Fine, stay here. I'm going out." Maria says getting up. She grabs her coat and leaves the room, letting the door slam shut behind her, unaware of the look of longing that Michael throws her. After a moment he gets up and walks over to the phone. He quickly dials a number that is written down on a piece of paper.

"Hello, is this ticketmaster?" Michael asks. "Yeah, I'd like to purchase ten front row seats to the ECW show at the Fresno Civic Center for tomorrow. No the money is not going to be an issue."

Chaffee Zoological Gardens

Max and Liz are walking across a bridge, over looking the panda exhibit below. They're walking hand in hand a nd have big smiles on their faces.

"So I was wondering if you wanted to set a date yet, for our marriage?" Max asks Liz after leading her to sit on a bench.

"Whenever you want to do it, I'm all for it." Liz replies. "God knows that we could use some good morale in the group. We've only been out of Roswell for barely a week and I'm already tired of running. I wish that this had never happened."

"If we hadn't left Roswell, Serena would still be looking for answers, and Oz, well he wouldn't have Serena." Max reminds her and Liz nods, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. The grin quickly fades as a vision hits her and she swoons.

**FLASH**

Liz is standing in the bridge of what appears to be an alien spaceship. Max, Michael, Maria, Isabel, Alex, Tess, Kyle, Serena, Oz, a guy with short dark hair, a woman with long brown hair and a redhaired girl who looks to be about the same age as Liz. All thirteen of them are looking out the front window of the ship, a golden planet looming in the horizon in front of them. Liz looks down at her watch, and sees that the date is September 28th.

**END FLASH**

"What happened?" Max asked with concern.

"We're going to Antar." Liz tells him

"What?" Max exclaims stunned. "All of us? When?"

"Yes, all of us, Serena and Oz included, and there were three more people with us that I didn't recognize. We're going on or before September 28th."

"That's barely three months." Max acknowledges. "We should get married soon, or they might want me and Tess to reclaim our thrones as King and Queen together."

"We'll get married when we reach San Francisco." Liz promises, and she and Max kiss.

"We should call the others, and tell them about your vision." Max says, picking up his cell phone. Liz snatches it away and pockets it.

"There's always time for that later." Liz says bring her mouth up to meet his in a passionate kiss.

Roswell, New Mexico

Sheriff's Office

The recently reinstated sheriff, Jim Valenti is sitting behind his desk, looking through files he has on a recent homicide in the area. He looks up at the sound of the phone ringing and picks it up.

"Kyle? Tess?" He asks hopefully.

"I see you're looking for them too." Agent Susan Duff's voice says through the receiver. "Where are they Jim?"

"Ahhh, Agent Duff you don't call, you don't write." Jim says, with a slightly mocking tone.

"Don't get smart with me Valenti, I covered for your ass in Tucson. Now this whole thing has been blown wide open. The president has given me the go ahead to approach you on joining the new Special Unit of-"

"No." Jim replies shortly. "I refuse to have anything to do with that group of hate mongers. I met Pierce and saw what he was all about. He killed people, ruthlessly and emotionlessly. Agent Stevens, five innocent people at a psychiatric hospital, Kathleen Topolski."

"Kathleen Topolski isn't dead." Duff informs him. "She has been tracking your eight runaways, plus one Serena Crowley and one Daniel Osbourne, both of whom are believed to be different. She cornered them in Sedona and Los Vegas, both times they narrowly escaped. She's out for blood Jim, and she isn't going to stop."

Valenti sighed. "What is it that you need me to do?"

Forestiere Underground Gardens

Alex and Isabel are sitting on a park bench staring at the stars above them in the sky.

"Do you think that they'll send someone for us now that Kivar and Kilan are gone." Isabel asks Alex in a whisper.

"They are going to need someone to lead them." Alex tells her.

"I'm scared to go back, Tess was there for six months and she was tortured, beaten and starved. I don't want to go back to that." Isabel whispers. "I don't want to be Vilandra."

"You're not Vilandra. You're Isabel, you're my Issy." Alex assured her, and wrapped her in a tight hug as they continued to watch the stars.

Tim's mansion

Serena leads the way down the dimly lit hallway, plasma bursts charged up, Tess follows, her hand up and ready to blast away. Kyle's entire body is completely on fire, fireballs where his fists are and he's ready for a good old fashioned brawl. Oz has his automatic crossbow that he carries with him under his overcoat. They are about to go through what appears to be the entrance to the living room. Kyle stops them.

"I'll go first, you guys might want to cover your faces so that they can't get a positive identification of any of us." Kyle says and Tess nods, grabbing a nearby sheet and waving her hand over it, she turns it into three separate masks. She gives one to both Oz and Serena, who put them on promptly and slides the third over her own head. Kyle nods and kicks the door open.

Just as the punk said, there were three more gunmen in the room, and about seven hostages. They jump back in surprise at seeing a man completely enflamed walk into the room.

"Holy shit!" one of the men yells out in shock. "What the hell are you?" Seeing that Kyle doesn't seem to be in any pain.

"I'm the Human fucking Torch, bitch." Kyle sneers and blasts the man with a column of fire, sending him crashing through a wall. One of the other two men take aim at Kyle's head, but Serena hits the pistol with a plasma ball, melting the tip of it just as the man shoots, causing it to backfire and explode in the man's hand. He flies back and hits his head on a statue of Michelangelo. The third man makes a run for it, but Oz takes care of him, with a crossbow bolt to the back of each leg. He falls to the ground writhing in pain and one of the hostages grabs the gun and tosses it to Serena.

"Wow, you guys are heroes." A teenaged blonde girl says standing up. "Are you mutants like in the comic books or something?"

Kyle, Serena, Tess and Oz share a wry glance. "Not exactly." Serena replies. "Just a group of superheroes who happened to be in the neighborhood. Hey, where are Tim and Maddie?"

"They…. They killed Tim." The blonde girl says mournfully. "Maddie is upstairs with Burke. That guy is a fucking pig."

"Show us where he took her." Tess instructs. The girl nods, and starts to lead the way upstairs. Tess turns to Serena and Kyle. "You two get them out of here, and take care of those two goons casing the place."

Kyle and Serena nod, and lead the six hostages out. Tess and Oz follow the blonde girl up the staircase to the main bedroom. The three of them stop at the entrance.

"In there…" The blonde girl says and runs off to catch up to the others. Oz and Tess glance at one another, hearing the sounds of thrashing inside.

"Ready wolf-boy?" Tess teases and Oz shakes his head and raises his crossbow up, ready to fire if necessary. Tess raises her hand and blows the door off the hinges and sending it flying backwards into the room. The pair run into the room and find Maddie nude, bound and gagged to the bed, Burke on top of her thrusting. He doesn't seem to notice that Oz and Tess have entered the room. Oz fires off a bolt from his crossbow, and hits Burke in the back. Burke screams in pain and falls off the side of the bed. Tess runs over to where Maddie is tied to the bed and begins to unbind her.

"It's okay, I'm gonna get you out of here, and you're gonna be okay. Alright?" Tess croons and Maddie nods through the tears. Tess quickly unties the battered Maddie and helps her to stand, running her hand over the wounds inflicted on her by Burke and healing them. Tess is covered in sweat by the time she finishes. Maddie looks from her now flawless skin to a weary Tess, then to Oz, who is standing over Burke's prone body with the crossbow.

"Who are you people?" She asks in wonder.

"Friends." Tess says simply, and to her relief, Maddie nods.

"I won't say anything." She promises.

"Thank you." Tess says with a reassuring smile as she picks up a sheet and wraps it around Maddie.

Oz leads the way as Tess assists Maddie down the stairs, through the hallways, and outside where, to there horror several newsvans and a dozen squad cars are already waiting. Kyle and Serena are no where in sight, and several cops have their guns drawn and aim at Tess and Oz as they exit the building and start walking down the front walkway. A single shot rings out.

Tess, Oz and Maddie quickly check themselves to see if they've been hit. A second later a loud thump is heard behind them and the three spin around to see Burke lying on his side, a bullet hole in his head and an sixteen inch knife in his hand. He's dead.

Several police officers rush up to help out. They take Maddie away from Tess gently and lead her over to the ambulance to get cleaned up. The lead officer turns to Oz and Tess, and sizes them up.

"You two must be the superheroes we've been hearing about for the last couple of minutes. You and your friends are true patriots." The cop says genially.

"Where are our friends?" Oz asks.

"The self-proclaimed Human Torch and Meltdown? They're giving a statement right now." The cop says pointing towards the barricade. "So what are your names?"

"Psylocke and Wolverine." Tess quips sarcastically.

"Hehe, funny." The cop chuckles. "The press has been crazy trying to get interviews."

"We're not going public." Tess says immeadiately.

"It's too late, kid. In a few hours your names, faces and the deed you've done for this city is going to be all over the nightly news. Burke and his gang have been terrorizing Fresno for years, and you just single handedly took him down."

Tess turns to Oz. "We gotta get the hell out of here." Tess announces. She mindwarps the cop and the pair bolt towards, Serena and Kyle. The four of them pile into Serena's car and take off.

The blonde girl who led Tess and Oz to the bedroom in the house is standing off to the side, talking on a cellphone.

"Hello, Mr. Heyman. Yeah, it's Sarah. I think I may have found your celebrity VIPs for tomorrow night."

To Be Continued……..


	5. Parts VI and VII

Lost in The Crowd  
Part VI: Guests of Honor

Quote of the Day: (One of my favorite moments in the entire seven year run of Buffy)  
Xander: Seven years Dawn. Working with the slayer, seeing my friends get more and more powerful. The witch. A demon. Hell, I could fit Oz in my shaving kit but come a full moon, he had a wolfy mojo not to be messed with. Powerful. All of them. And I'm the guy who fixes the windows……… I see more than anyone else cause nobody's watching me. And I saw what you did last night. You took your power and gave it to Amanda without a second thought. You're not special, Dawn. You're extrordinary."  
Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Season 7, 'Potential'

In this Chapter: Serena and Kyle make plans. Duff gets a lead. The gang gets more than they bargain for when they go to a wrestling event. 

Aprox. 14 hours after the events of the last installment.

Royal Suite #1  
Kyle and Tess's room- Noon  
Kyle is rudely awakened from his peaceful slumber by a loud rapping on the door.  
"Yeah?" Kyle calls out and shifts Tess' head from his chest to the pillows as to not wake her up.. Serena opens the door, a sombre expression on her face. She holds up a copy of the Fresno Gazette, and tosses it to Kyle who takes one look at the front page and slaps a hand against his forehead.  
"On the plus side, they don't have a very good picture of us. I mean you were literally on fire and I'm out of focus enough to stay flying under te radar here for a few more days." Serena points out.   
"Michael's gonna flip his lid when he hears about this." Kyle says, pulling on his pants under the sheets, then standing up o-ut of the bed.  
"If we can keep him from getting the paper today, we should be alright. The press will write us off as tabloid garbage and we can fade into obscurity once again." Serena says. "Michael also told me to have you and Oz and Tess get ready. He got us front row seats for the ECW show at the civic center tonight. Max called in for reservations at some Italian resteraunt before we go to see the show too."   
"Really? Finally something that might actually be worth the trip." Kyle exclaims with a playful grin. Serena smiles back.  
"You and Tess get ready, I'll see you when we get ready to leave." Serena tells him and walks out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her, so she doesn't wake Tess.

Roswell, New Mexico- 1pm  
Crashdown   
Jim Valenti and Agent Susan Duff are sitting at a booth talking.  
"So suppose I do help you, what happens to those kids. Kyle is my son and Tess is like a daughter to me." Jim asks, sipping on a coffee.   
"They will be questioned and then placed in protective custody until such time that people like Topolski are put away for good." Duff answers.  
"They're not gonna come quietly, even though Max does trust you. Their last experience with the government didn't end well and the whole debacle at grauation has further cemented that distrust." Jim comments.  
"I know, that's why you are needed. You have to convince them that they are not going to be in any danger if they come with us. We have several other 'special' people in our care. I'm not to sure, but I think that the president is trying to put together his own little special forces." Duff says.  
"There's only one problem with that. Maria Deluca has no alien powers whatsoever." Jim says. "And she won't be getting any unless she gets hurt and Max has to heal her like Liz, Kyle, Alex, and-" Jim stops before he tells Duff about his own latent powers.  
"And who else, Jim?" Duff questions.  
"It wouldn't matter, she's dead now." Valenti covers. "Her name was Courtney Banks. She used to waitress here, and was killed when enemies of Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess's came to town looking for them."  
"How?" Duff asks.  
"There was an alien named Nicolas." Jim says. "He could go into peoples mind and sort through their thoughts, feelings, memories. There was a thing called the Granolith that Max and the others were hiding. Michael told Courtney and Nicolas found her. In order to keep the information away from him, Courtney killed herself."  
Duff's cell goes off and she picks it up.  
"Duff here." She says into the phone. "Yeah. Are you sure. Okay, I'll get there as soon as I can."  
She clicks the phone shut and turns back to Jim. "We have a confirmed sighting."  
"How confirmed?" Jim asks.  
A video tape of your son, engulfed in flames, taking out a gangster. There was an unidentified woman with him, who took out the guys partner with what is believed to be bursts of plasma, from the CSI's examination of the damage inflicted upon the car that the thugs were in." Duff answers. "The Fresno newspapers are having a field day with the 'superheroes' in their backyard, so I doubt we're gonna have much time before they move on."  
"So we're going to Fresno." Jim states, knowing the answer.  
"There's a plane standing by in Hondo." Duff confirms  
"I think I heard something about an ECW wrestling show happening there today. If it is them, Michael will probably drag the group to go see it." Jim says, trying to be helpful. Duff nods.  
"Then that's where we'll be waiting for them."

DeLuigi's   
Two tables are pushed together in the far left corner of the resteraunt as the gang is led over to be seated. Max, Liz, Isabel and Alex take one side, while Serena, Tess, Kyle and Maria are on the other side and Michael and Oz have sat on the ends of the table.  
Max stands up and looks around the table. "I have an announcement to make." He declares. "Liz and I are getting married."  
Everyone at the table applauds, and Isabel, who is sitting next to Liz gives her a quick hug. Max raises his glass in a toast, which is soon copied by the other nine friends. Their meal comes and they eat their fill.

Fresno Civic Center- 6PM  
Agent Duff, Jim Valenti, and several other agents enter the building and are approached by two of the show's security guards.  
"What's all this?" The lead guard asks, noting the gun holsters on the new arrivals.  
Susan Duff waves her badge to show the men that she is FBI.  
"We're waiting for some people who may be here tonight. This is a federal matter, so do not attempt to involve yourselves in any way." Duff says with authority and the men nod in understanding. "Now, we're going to need a couple seats to keep an eye out for our targets. Spread out perferably"  
The lead guard nods again. "Follow me, and I'll show you to the main part of the arena."

A couple of hours later  
Michael leads the way into the arena, the other nine clustered together, heading for their seats in the front row. They reach them with relatively no problem, as they haven't seen Duff, Valenti, or any of the agents yet. They take their seats and wait for the show to start. After about a half hour it does, and the first match is Super Crazy w/ Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck vs. Justin Credible w/Francine.   
Michael, Serena and Kyle are all really into the match, all watching the match intently. Super Crazy knocks Credible down after a long fought battle all over the arena, and does the trifecta of moonsaults. Crazy precedes to pin him for the victory. The second match is Tajiri and Whipwreck and Balls Mahoney w/ Super Crazy and Axl Rotten vs. The Blue World Order (Stevie Richards, Nova(WWE fans know him as Simon Dean), and The Blue Meanie). Whipwreck, Tajiri, and Mahoney dominate the match, eventually getting the pin on Nova after Tajiri hits him with the buzzsaw kick and Mikey gives him a whippersnapper.  
Paul Heyman's music hits and he comes out with the same blonde girl who was at the 'party' the night before, accompanied by several police officers. Tess, Kyle, Serena and Oz exchange worried glances, which doesn't go unnoticed by either Michael or Max. Paul Heyman grabs a mic and addresses the crowd.  
"I have been asked by the Fresno PD to acknowledge what is to be a historic event in Fresno's history. Last night there was a hostage situation in Northern Fresno, commited by the infamous Reavers. One man lost his life last night, but if not for four brave men and women, many more would have most likely been killed. We have footage of the aftermath of the incident. Roll It!"  
The large titantron flickers from an image of the ring to show video footage of Kyle and Serena taking out the two goons in the car, using their powers, then of Tess and Oz leading Maddie out of the house and to safety. As this is going on, Tess, Kyle, Serena and Oz all get up from their seats and begin to head towards the exits, as inconspiciously as they can. They don't get too far however, before the blonde girl spots them and grabs the mic from Heyman.  
"And they are here tonight!" the girl yells, pointing them out in the crowd. The four of them turn toward the cameras sheepishly.  
"Shit." Kyle swears under his breath as he looks at the titantron, which is not focused on the position of the four.  
Agent Duff and Valenti watch the events unfold, shaking their heads. Duff's walkie crackles to life.  
"I have two of them within my immediate line of sight, do you want me to detain?"  
"Negative. We can't do it in front of all these people now. Withdraw, we'll get another chance later." Duff commands. "We find out where they're staying and intercept them there."  
"Get them in the ring!" Heyman shouts and Oz, Serena, Tess and Kyle are ushered hesitantly forward toward the barricade.  
"Tess, can you mind warp them, so we can get out of here?" Serena whispers urgently, and Tess nods.  
Closing her eyes tightly, Tess reaches out with her mind and makes the four of them invisible. Kyle picks up his girlfriend and begins to walk through the crowds toward the exit, Serena and Oz following behind.   
"Whoa, Holy shit, they've disappeared in to thin air!" Heyman yells. "That's extreme!"

Royal Suite # 1  
Half an hour later  
Kyle opens the door and walks into the suite, followed by Tess, Serena and Oz. He stops in his tracks suddenly, as he sees his father sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. Tess bumps into him and looks around him to see what is going on. Her mouth drops open in shock.   
"d-d-Dad?" She sputters, confused. "How did you find us."  
"Wasn't hard." Jim says sternly.  
"Hello Kyle, Tess. It's been a long time." Agent Duff says, making her presence known. Kyle and Tess whirl around to look at the FBI agent.   
"What are you doing here?"  
"We've been sent by the FBI to come and retrieve you and bring you to a more secure location." Duff tells them.  
"What, like the white room? No thanks." Tess says and closes her eyes to start another mindwarp. One of Duff's men comes out of nowhere and shoots Tess in the chest with a tranquilizer dart. Oz catches her as she falls backwards limply into his arms. Kyle bursts into flames.   
"What the hell are you playing at?" Kyle yells, pointing an accusing finger at his father and Duff.  
"She was going to mindwarp us, and I couldn't allow that to happen. We need you to come to Washington DC with us." Duff says.  
"Not gonna happen." Kyle sneers, throwing up a ring of fire around the foursome that stretches up to the ceiling. The floor ccrackles and gives way under them and Kyle, Oz, Serena and Tess fall down to the room below, which unfortunantly has a bunch of agents waiting with tranquilizers. Kyle's flames die down and he returns to normal, having expended too much energy on the little stunt he just pulled. The agents fire off a couple of darts, hitting Kyle and Oz. They go down, but Serena manages to melt hers before she gets hit. She tosses a couple more, melting the guns of the other agents in the room, before they can reload and get off another shot.  
She glares at the now unarmed agents. "What are you going- ughnnnnn" Serena moans as another agent comes out of the bathroom and shoots her in the back with the tranquilizer. She falls forward and one of the agents catches her before she hits the ground.  
"Let's get them secured in the transport before the others get here."   
"While you're add it, get all their stuff and the cars they had with them, and load them into the other transport. We leave nothing behind." 

Later- Suite #2  
Michael opens the door and storms in, a thunderous look on his face. Max, Liz, Maria, Isabel and Alex follow after him. Alex shuts the door and it closes with an irregular click.  
"This is unbelievable!" Michael vents. "How could they be so stupid, using their powers in public like that?"  
"I'm sure that they had a very good reason to do what they did, Michael." Liz, ever the optimist, reasons softly.  
"It doesn't matter what their reasons were. We can't stay here anymore, we have to leave tonight." Max says, just as angrily as Michael was talking.  
"Hey guys, does anyone smell that?" Isabel asks, sniffing the air. She walks over to the closet and sees a strange machine in the vent above her head. "Oh my god! They're gassing us!" She cries out in alarm, as the gas starts to become a grayish color, like smoke, as it pours out of the vent.  
Michael and Max run over to check it. They look at it in horror. "Everyone out, Now!" Max yells, taaking command, and the six of them run for the door, only to find that it won't open. Max tries using his powers on the lock, but nothing happens.  
"I can't get it open!" Max yells. Kicking the door in frustration.   
"The door that connects to the other suite!" Maria yells, and the six of them run for the other door. It opens and they survey the damage in the other room for a moment before they are all hit with tranquilizer darts and collpse into a small pile in the room.  
To Be Concluded…….

Lost in the Crowd  
Part VII: New Beginnings

In this part: The gang makes new friends. Maria is given a choice that will alter her life forever. Serena and Oz get closer. The signal is sent.

Transport Truck #4 – Unknown amount of time later  
Tess is laying on a mattress, sleeping soundly from the effects of the tranquilizer dart. She begins to stir and slowly opens her eyes. She remembers what happened in the hotel room, and sits up quickly, a little too quickly for her own good as she feels a huge headache coming on. She clutches her head in pain and looks around, taking in her surroundings. She sees Serena's car parked in the back part of the transport where she is being held, and Liz is laying on another mattress a few feet over. Tess slowly moves over to the small brunette and nudges her shoulder.  
"Hey Liz… Liz wake up." Tess calls out, trying to rouse her friend. After a few attempts, Liz slowly begins to wake up.  
"Whazz gon onnn?" Liz slurs, still feeling the effects of the tranquilizer. "I feel like I got hit by a mack truck." Liz says, her voice returning to normal after a moment.  
"I think that we're in one, bound for parts unknown." Tess tells her solemnly. "I can't seem to get my powers working."  
Liz reached out and tries to blast the back doors open, but has no luck. She shakes her head.  
"Me neither." Liz announces.  
Tess stands up and moves toward the wall that has no door, only a thin metal slab that Tess assumes connects to the cab of the truck. She raises a fist and pounds on the wall, hoping to get the attention of the driver or someone in the passenger seat. Her banging is soon answered, as the slab slides away and both Tess find a pair of ivy green eyes looking back at them.  
"Where the hell are you taking us?" Tess demands angrily.  
"We are enroute to a train station, where we will be boarding a private train bound for Washington DC." A female voice answers.  
"Why? So they can put us under observation and/or dissect us?" Tess asks.   
"I assure you that it's nothing that drastic." The voice says.   
"Then why were we tranq'd taken against our will?" Tess argued, and Liz nods.  
"Because we know that due to your previous run in with the government, you would never come quietly, regardless of the reason you were summoned." The woman explains.  
"So why do you want us?" Liz asks.  
"There is a secret branch of the government, that consists of a group of special individuals. We in the group call it Gene Nation. Very few people know about the project. The president himself is on a need to know basis only." The woman answers. "We were hoping to recruit you into the group."  
"And just why should we even bother listening to any of this." Tess argues. "You didn't give us a choice in Fresno."  
"We're giving you a choice now. If I don't convince you to join by the time we reach San Francisco, then you can leave and we won't bother any of you again."  
"Okay, start trying to convince us." Liz says halfheartedly, then she and Tess both jump back in shock as the woman slips through the wall and into the back part of the truck where Liz and Tess are being held.   
"Wh-wh-what the-" Liz stutters.  
"What? You thought that you people were the only ones in the world with gifts?" The woman asks, slightly mockingly.  
"What- Who are you?" Tess manages to get out after a moment.  
"Amy Bishop, Mutant, at your service."

Transport #2  
Serena and Isabel are trying to find a way out of their little prison, but not having much luck as their powers are blocked.  
"Any luck?" Serena calls over to Isabel, who is trying to unlock the back door of the truck.  
"Nothing. What about you." Isabel asks.  
"Not even a spark." Serena answers, distraught.  
"That's because the tranquilizers you were shot with were laced with neural inhibitors, specifically designed to block your powers." A man that wasn't in the back with them a moment ago says. Serena and Isabel spin to face him.  
"Who are you?" Serena asks, walking backwards to stand next to Isabel.   
The man grins and disappears.  
"I'm a member of a group called Gene Nation, which consists of talented individuals not unlike you two lovely ladies." The man says, now behind the pair of hybrids. They both spin around and stare at him, slackjawed.

Transport #3  
Max and Alex are standing up, staring at the girl who appears to be about fifteen, who is leaning against the SUV.  
"So why exactly should we trust that this Gene Nation is for real, and not just some government ploy to get us in the white room or something like that." Max asks.  
"You can trust me. The guy who runs Gene Nation is named Edward Sinclair. When I was four years old, I was living on the streets. He found me and took me in, gave me good clothes and put a roof over my head. Neither of us knew that I was a mutant until about three years ago." The girl tells them.  
"What happened?" Alex asks.  
"We went on a cruise to celebrate the eight year anniversary of the day he adopted me. On the third day we saw dolphins playing around some coral reefs and I leaned too far over the edge, and fell. I thought I was going to die, but at the last second before I hit the water, I stopped. That was the day I found out that I could fly." The girl says and illustrates her point by rising two feet off of the ground.   
"Oh wow." Alex and Max chorus and the girl gives them a wide grin. 

Transport #2  
"Absolutely not!" Michael yells at the man in the compartment with him and Oz.   
"Why the hell not?" the man asks politely.  
"Because of what Pierce did to Max, I refuse to have anything to do with the government. It would take everyone else agreeing to get in on your little game before I even considered it."  
"Michael, maybe we should give him a-" Oz starts, but Michael cuts him off.   
"No!" Michael yells. "The only reason you're even here is because Serena likes you. You don't get a say in the matter, whatsoever."   
"I may not be able to speak for you or Max or Isabel or Tess, or anyone else, but I can speak for myself Michael. I'm doing this." 

Transport #5  
Kyle slowly wakes to Maria's insistant shaking of his shoulder.  
"What happened." Kyle asks, drowsily shaking off the tiredness, and sitting up. He looks at Maria, who is staring at something on the other side of the truck. He follows Maria's gaze to see a brunette woman sitting on the hood of Oz's van, staring at them tentatively.   
"Who are you?" Kyle asks, angrily as the events that led them to their current predicament resurface.  
"I'm Katie Beck, and I'm kinda like you, Kyle Valenti, but I'm more like Maria here." Katie introduces herself.  
"What, you're a human with no powers, that got sucked into the alien abyss?" Kyle asks, and Maria whaps him in the arm for being slightly insensitive. Katie shakes her head.  
"Nah, I'm a mutant." Katie tells them.  
"So you have powers then?" Kyle asks and Katie nods.  
"I can copy the powers of other mutants and empowered being's such as yourself. I can also sense other mutants and draw out their latent talents." Katie says.  
"You said that you were more like me, than like Kyle. Are you saying that I…" Maria trails off and Katie nods her head.  
"Your powers should have emerged by now, I can sense that you have immense untapped potential. I can help you to unlock your gifts, and then you'll be on a par with the rest of us." Katie offers, and Maria looks down at the ground for a moment.  
"Give me some time to think about it, okay?" Maria asks.  
"Of course." Katie replies with a nod.  
Maria turns to Kyle. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this Valenti."   
Kyle waves his hands. "Don't worry about it, my lips are sealed." He promises.  
Katie touches her earpiece, listening intently.  
"Okay, we're going to be arriving at the private train station in about five minutes, can I trust you enough not to run off when we let you out and to get on the train willingly?"  
Kyle and Maria nod slowly and Katie grins widely. "I promise you that it's worth it and that you won't have to run anymore."

Train Compartment- Twenty Minutes Later  
Max, Liz, Alex, Isabel, and Maria are sitting together in a compartment.   
"So we're really gonna do this?" Liz asks quietly.  
"Yeah." Max answers. "If the whole thing turns out to be a sham, then we walk."  
"Who gets to tell Michael that we all want this?" Isabel asks.  
"I'll do it." Max answers solemnly. "I doubt he's gonna be to pleased about it, but he'll deal."  
"How do you think that Kyle, Serena, Tess and Oz are dealing with this?" Alex asks.  
"I think that they want it too. Serena does anyways, she's been running for a lot longer than we have and she's sick of it, she said so back in the truck." Isabel reveals.  
"Yeah, Tess said she didn't want to run anymore too." Liz says. "She did it for ten years before she even came to Roswell, and she doesn't want to do it again."  
Alex notices that Maria has been silent the whole time as the train begins to move.  
"Hey Ria, what are your thoughts on this?" Alex asks her genially  
Maria snaps out of her thoughts of what Katie had told her back in the truck, and looks at Alex.  
"I think that this is the best thing for you guys." Maria answers after a moment. She stands up and moves for the door. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air." She says as she leaves the compartment. The other four watch her go, sad expressions on their faces.  
Maria walks down the corridor, heading for the back part of the train. She reaches it after a couple of minutes and opens the door, stepping out onto the balcony. She rests her hands against the steel guardrail and watches the tracks pass, deep in thought.  
"What should I do?" She wonders aloud, hoping that someone will take the decision out of her hands.

Diner Cart  
Serena and Oz are sitting at a table together, each drinking a coffee.  
"So what do you think of this whole deal?" Serena asks.  
"It's moving so fast right now, I really don't know what to think." Oz replies.  
"You know, It's times like these that you should be with someone you know that you can trust no matter what." Serena says cryptically.   
"What are you talking about, Serena?" Oz asks, confused. Serena stares at him for a moment then leans over and kisses him. Oz hesitates for a moment and Serena pulls back.  
"Sorry, that was stupid. I-" Serena is cut off as Oz leans forwards and kisses her back.  
"No, that was the best thing you could have done." He says when the two of them finally come up for air. He looks around, seeing Katie and Amy staring at them, grinning. "Hey, Do you wanna go some where more private?"  
Serena nods, and Oz leads her out of the diner cart, heading to find an empty compartment.

Sleeping Compartment  
Michael is laying on a bed in the compartment, Max sitting on the bed next to his, watching as Michael begins to wake. Michael opens his eyes and looks at Max. He is silent for a long moment.  
"Everyone took the offer, didn't they?" Michael finally asks Max just looks at him for a moment in silence before answering.  
"Yeah, we all took the offer." Max replies after a moment.  
"I hope that you haven't gotten us in too deep, Maxwell." Michael says.  
"So you're going to do it to then?" Max questions and Michael nods.   
"What choice do I have?" he mutters.

Cargo Hold  
RV   
Tess and Kyle are laying on the bed in the back of the RV, spooning. Kyle is stroking Tess' hair as they lay there.  
"It's going to be a different world for us. For all of us." Kyle says  
"I know." Tess says, grabbing hold of Kyle's hand and squeezing gently. "I love you, you know."  
"Yeah, I know." Kyle answers, kissing the back of Tess' head.  
Suddenly, a very distinct beeping is heard, coming from under the bed.  
"What the hell is that?" Kyle asks, as he and Tess sit up quickly.  
Tess gets up and looks under the bed. It's the orbs. She reaches out and grabs the two of them. She holds them up and is suddenly knocked back into the wall by an explosion of light.  
Ten minutes later, she wakes up, lying on the bed. Kyle is standing over her.  
"What the hell just happened?" Kyle asks, concerned for his lover's health. "The orbs exploded and knocked you unconscious."  
Tess looks at him, a serene expression on her face. "They're coming."   
"Who?" Kyle asks.  
"They're coming to take us home." Tess answers and Kyle's jaw drops. 

Train Compartment  
Katie is sitting inside the compartment, reading a USA today magazine. She looks up as the door slides open and Maria walks in.  
"I've made a decision." Maria says after a moment. Katie looks at her, waiting for Maria to give her answer.  
"I…. I want you to draw out my powers. I want to have a place in this Gene Nation of yours." Maria says finally  
"You're positive about this? Once it's done, you can't go back to being normal. Ever."  
"I gave my answer." Maria says, unwaveringly.  
"Okay. This is going to hurt a bit, but in the end, you're going to feel like a new woman." Katie says, reaching out and placeing her hands on each side of Maria's face and focusing her energy.  
Maria screams.  
The End

To be Continued in Gene Nation…..


End file.
